Chicago police sued for high-speed chase that killed baby

Antoine Watkins, 21, is accused of driving the vehicle that jumped the curb, ran over the toddler strapped in his stroller and dragged his body into a vacant lot in the 6300-block of South Ellis Avenue in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood on July 11.

The mother of slain 13-month-old Dillan Harris has filed a civil lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department and Harris’ alleged killer, Antoine Watkins. The 13-month-old boy was in his stroller when he was struck and killed by a auto fleeing from police. “Needlessly, children are dying on our city’s streets, and this is the direct result of a police chase that should not have happened”, said McComb’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci.

The lawsuit by Dillan’s family says the police ignored orders to break off the chase.

This story has been corrected to show the first name of the child’s mother is spelled Shatrell, not Shatrelle. “He should not have died”, was all Shatrelle McComb, the mother of Dillan Harris, managed to say before being overcome by emotion.

Watkins was arrested a short time later, after police saw him driving a auto matching the description of the vehicle that killed Dillan. “And, in fact, we have evidence that the chase was told to be stopped”.

The City of Chicago was also named as a defendant.

Watkins has been charged with first-degree murder in Dillan’s death, but has not been charged in connection with Carr’s death, as of Thursday morning.

“Police were not able to apprehend [the suspect] and they continued to chase”, Romanucci said.

“We have not had an opportunity to review this suit and therefore cannot comment in detail”.

According to the Chicago Police Department’s directive concerning pursuits, a chase can be started only if “the necessity to immediately apprehend the fleeing suspect outweighs the level of inherent danger created by a motor vehicle pursuit”.

The suit seeks compensation for damages and attorney’s fees.