The Chicago Crusader would like to apologize for a story it published and set the record straight concerning Village of Dolton’s Sergeant Lewis Lacey. On April 10, 2023, we published an article entitled “Village of Dolton denied new trial as record $33.5M verdict upheld,” however the story did not include an important fact about Sgt. Lacey.
Sgt. Lacey was a defendant in a lawsuit filed by Loevy & Loevy on behalf of relatives of the two men involved in a deadly car chase. However, the Crusader recently learned that Sgt. Lacey was found not guilty of “willful and wanton” misconduct after he and fellow officer Ryan Perez were accused of causing the accident that killed John Kyles and injured Duane Dunlap.
In 2016, the two men were in a car driven by Demetrius Sorrells, who according to the lawsuit, skidded through a stop sign near Greenwood Road and Sibley Boulevard in Dolton.
The chase lasted about a mile until the car crashed behind the New Zion Covenant Church. Kyles was killed, and attorneys say Dunlap suffered severe, permanent injuries.
On August 3, 2022, a Cook County jury awarded Kyles’ family $10 million, and Dunlap’s family $23 million. At that time, the jury cleared Sgt. Lacey, saying he had nothing to do with Kyles’ death and Dunlap’s injury.
During the trial, attorneys for Sgt. Lacey successfully argued Sorrells caused Kyles death and Dunlap’s injury. Sgt. Lacey and Perez were in separate police cars when they were chasing the men. Contrary to the plaintiff’s attorneys, Sgt. Lacey’s attorneys argued that their client had regard for public safety during the chase as they sought to apprehend the men. They point to Sgt. Lacey having his sirens on to alert drivers to pull over.
They also argued that Sgt. Lacey always followed behind Perez, who according to GPS data was traveling below the speed limit. Sgt. Lacey’s attorneys said GPS data showed his speed was even lower during the incident.
The Crusader apologizes for any inconvenience it may have caused by reporting on this story without this information. We affirm our commitment to truth and reporting facts from all sides of the story as they become available.
