$12.5M awarded to family of man killed by cop

CHICAGO Chicago police officer Alvin Weems shot and killed Pleasance four years ago at a CTA train station on the city's South Side.

This is one of the largest jury awards in years in a case involving police conduct. The city acknowledged going in that the officer made a fatal mistake. So the only thing at issue was what monetary value do you assign a life? Jurors had to consider that Michael Pleasance had no job and had done prison time for drugs. And they also had to consider a mother's unconditional love for a son whose shooting death was unjustified.

Pam Pleasance lost her son Michael in 2003. He was 23. He was shot in the head by Weems, who initially claimed he fired because Pleasance had lunged at him, and he was in fear for his life.

But a CTA security tape at the 95th Street Red Line station where the shooting occurred did not support Weems' version of events.

"I don't think you can ever put a value, a monetary value, on a person's life," said Pam Pleasance.

Still, that was the jury's charge and they decided that the Pleasance family and their attorneys should receive $12.5 million from the city for the shooting death.

Through the first nine months of this year, the city has paid out $26.5 million in police misconduct cases. On top of that is the proposed Burge settlement at another $40 million and now the Pleasance verdict, which the city says it will appeal.

"These are dollars that should not have to be paid out because these are things you can avoid," said Ald. Ed Smith, 28th Ward.

City council members can only hope the arrival of a new superintendent will change the pattern, practice and ultimately the performance of Chicago police officers, particularly in some shoot-don't-shoot situations.

"Just focused on one incident and one incident only. And if as a result of this award the city believes that social change should take place, fine," said Allen Schwartz, Pleasance attorney.

Pam Pleasance said she believes the jury's decision was fair and just, though she said she wants to meet with the officer who fired the shot that killed her son.

"I wanted to meet face-to-face with him and have him apologize to me in my face. Maybe we can even sit and talk, just the two of us. But I would really like that," she said.

The city called the jury award excessive and will be filing post-trial motions and an appeal in an effort to lower it.