Chicago to Pay $27 Million to Family of Stacy Vaughn-Harrell Killed in Police Chase

A Chicago City Council Finance Committee has approved a $27 million settlement for the family of Stacy Vaughn-Harrell, a mother of six who was killed when a fleeing vehicle struck her car during a high-speed police pursuit in the Englewood neighborhood in June 2017. The figure is nearly three times the $10 million a jury previously awarded and is expected to receive full City Council approval in the coming week.

Vaughn-Harrell, 47, and her daughter Kimberlyn Myers, then 21, were returning home after Myers performed at an event in Indiana when a white Kia sedan, being pursued by Chicago police through a residential area at approximately 50 mph, collided with their vehicle at an intersection after running through four stop signs. Vaughn-Harrell died at the scene, while Myers sustained a concussion, lacerated liver, and a broken collarbone. Six children, three of them teenagers, were left without their mother.

City officials cited compelling new evidence as justification for the significantly elevated settlement. Deputy Corporation Counsel Margaret Mendenhall-Casey disclosed that a previously unseen post-crash video — showing Myers crawling over her mother's body while officers stood nearby without intervening — was expected to be admitted at a retrial ordered by an appellate court. Additional factors included anticipated testimony from all six of Vaughn-Harrell's children, expanded claims for pain and suffering, and broader criticism of officer conduct during the pursuit. City litigation official John Hendricks warned alderpersons that proceeding to a second trial carried the risk of a verdict exceeding $100 million, referencing a comparable 2024 police pursuit case that resulted in a $79 million judgment. All but $7 million of the settlement will be funded by Chicago taxpayers.