$1.2M settlement approved for family of Corey Harris, 17-year-old shot by police

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Corey Harris, 17, a stand-out Dyett High School student and athlete, was gunned down by an off-duty Chicago police officer in 2009 in the 6800-block of South Eberhart Avenue.

A city finance committee approved the use of $1.2 million of taxpayer money to compensate his family on Tuesday.

Chicago police claimed the off-duty officer saw Harris shooting at someone and the teen ran when the officer chased him with his car. Police said when Officer Darren Wright caught up with Harris the teen pointed a gun at him, forcing the officer to shoot in self-defense.

But the Harris family later filed a lawsuit claiming Officer Wright was wildly firing a series of shots at a group of Dyett High School students, which included Harris. An autopsy revealed Harris died of a gunshot wound to the back.

Harris was the father of an infant daughter and the captain of the Dyett baseball and basketball teams, leaving many to wonder how he could be a criminal.

City corporation counsel has not gone into any detail about why they agreed to the compensation.

The city settlement is just the latest in a series of costly pay-outs stemming from alleged police misconduct.