The family of a 10-year-old girl who was killed during a police chase in Auburn Gresham more than four years ago was awarded nearly $79.85 million by a jury Wednesday evening, December 11.
Lawyers representing the family of Da’Karia Spicer reportedly asked the jury to award them more than $140 million. The city’s attorneys requested a much smaller figure between $12 million and $15 million.
“The City of Chicago did what was in their power to step up and resolve this case, but their insurance carrier gambled with taxpayers’ money and gambled that a jury would not recognize the Spicer family’s incalculable loss. They put profits over humanity. We never should have gotten to the point where a jury had to listen to the excruciating evidence involved in this case,” Lance D. Northcutt, a partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, said. The Spicer family was represented by attorneys with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
The crash occurred on September 2, 2020, when Da’Karia Spicer, her 6-year-old brother Dhaamir, and their father, Kevin Spicer, were in a car near 80th and Halsted. They were on their way to pick up a laptop so Da’Karia could start e-learning for the new school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unbeknownst to the Spicer family, officers in an unmarked squad car were pursuing a black Mercedes-Benz for what police later described as a traffic violation. According to body camera footage obtained by CBS News Chicago in June 2024, the officers were seen speeding through alleys, ignoring stop signs, and maneuvering side streets, despite department policy that prohibits high-speed chases for minor infractions.
During the pursuit, one officer was heard predicting the outcome: “I knew he wasn’t going to stop. He gone!” Another officer added, “He’s going to crash. He’s about to crash right now. Boom!” Moments later, the fleeing Mercedes struck a gray car driven by a 57-year-old woman before colliding with the Spicer family’s vehicle.
The impact was devastating. Da’Karia was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her brother, Dhaamir, was also taken to Comer in critical condition before eventually recovering and being released. Kevin Spicer was transported to the University of Chicago Hospital for observation and was later released.
Kevin’s fiancé, Darnesha Johnson, recalled the anguished call she received after the crash. “He was hysterical,” she told ABC 7 Chicago. “We’ve been together for almost 15 years, and I’ve never heard him like that. He was saying, ‘Mama’s not responding.’”
“Mama,” as Da’Karia was affectionately called, was the family’s pride and joy. “I will never be OK. I will never be OK after today. They took my firstborn child,” Darnesha said tearfully. She believes her daughter likely died instantly in the collision. “I will never be OK. I will never be OK after today. They took my firstborn child,” she said.
The crash left a trail of destruction in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood and has remained a source of controversy and grief. The Chicago Police Department, citing an ongoing lawsuit, has declined to comment on the incident. Reports indicate that one of the officers involved remains on active duty, while another is inactive.
Da’Karia’s death is not an isolated case. Data shows that between 2006 and 2016, 108 people were killed in police pursuit-related incidents in Chicago, nearly half of whom were innocent bystanders, according to a report by Gainsberg Law. Statewide figures from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board show multiple fatalities from pursuits in recent years, including two suspects and one passenger in 2022 alone.
In addition to the human toll, police chases have imposed a financial burden on Chicago taxpayers. Reports indicate that the city paid over $51.4 million between 2019 and 2023 to settle lawsuits stemming from pursuit-related incidents, according to data from Pullano Law.
This case and its nearly $80 million jury award highlight the devastating consequences of police pursuits, both in terms of lives lost and financial costs. The Spicer family’s relentless pursuit of justice has shed light on the need for stricter enforcement of pursuit policies to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
