Chicago committee rejects fatal police shooting settlement

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago City Council committee has rejected a proposed $125,000 settlement with a woman whose son was fatally shot by officers in 2013 after he stabbed an officer in the face.

The council's Finance Committee rejected the proposed settlement Monday for Lenora Bonds on a 13-13 vote. Because ties are recorded as a 'œno vote'ť the proposal won't reach the full City Council, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Officers were dispatched to Bonds' home in October 2013 after she called 911 and reported that her son, Terrance Harris, 40, was threatening her with two kitchen knives.

Harris stabbed one of the first officers to arrive at the scene in the face - a sergeant who had crisis intervention training, said deputy corporation counsel Victoria Benson.

Three more officers, none of whom had that training, then arrived in response to the sergeant's stabbing, by which time Benson said Harris was in the basement, holding two knives.

She said Harris refused commands to drop the weapons, and he had turned on the gas, apparently trying to blow up the house.

When Harris 'œsuddenly lunged in the direction of two of the officers,'ť all three fired, she said, and he died after being struck by 29 of their 32 shots.

Bonds sued the city of Chicago, initially seeking $3 million, and alleging that the shooting could have been prevented if the Chicago Police Department had more extensive training in crisis intervention at the time. The committee's vote means Bonds' case will go to trial.

Several aldermen said Monday it seemed like the responding officers did their best in a difficult situation.

'œLet me get this straight. She called for help. The police arrived. They did the best they could. And now she's suing?'ť said Alderman George Cardenas.