A high-stakes legal battle involving a police chase that resulted in severe injuries and death has culminated in a $33.5 million jury award for the plaintiffs. The lawsuit, filed by Aja Seats and Sabrina Wright on behalf of John Kyles and Duane Dunlap respectively, was brought against the Village of Dolton in Cook County Circuit Court on November 5, 2019.
The case centers around an October 9, 2016 incident where a high-speed police chase led to the death of John Kyles and severe injuries to Duane Dunlap. Plaintiffs claimed that Dolton police officers Lewis Lacey and Ryan Perez pursued a vehicle driven by Demetrius Sorrells at dangerously high speeds, resulting in a crash. Crucially, the plaintiffs argued that evidence from Perez’s dashboard camera, which could have provided key insights into the chase, was lost or destroyed—a claim of spoliation of evidence.
During the trial that began on July 26, 2022, and concluded on August 3, 2022, both Lacey and Perez testified about their actions during the chase. Lacey admitted to reaching speeds up to 75 miles per hour while pursuing Sorrells but claimed he did not see Sorrells's vehicle at certain points. Perez testified that his dashboard camera would have recorded automatically when he activated his lights and sirens but could not confirm if it was working properly or if any footage was preserved.
Expert witnesses bolstered the plaintiffs' case. Jay Przybyla presented GPS data showing the positions and speeds of the police vehicles during the chase, while Dennis Waller criticized Dolton police for failing to ensure dashboard cameras were operational and preserving critical video evidence.
The jury found in favor of Dolton on claims of willful and wanton conduct but sided with the plaintiffs on spoliation of evidence. They awarded $33.5 million in damages due to the loss or destruction of crucial dashboard camera footage. On appeal, Dolton argued various points including improper jury instructions and insufficient proof of spoliation; however, these arguments were rejected by Justice R. Van Tine who affirmed the jury’s verdict.
Representing the plaintiffs were attorneys whose efforts led to this significant judgment against Dolton. The case was presided over by Judge Elizabeth M. Budzinski under Case ID No. 2019 L 012256.