2008 Woodie Awards
Lawsuits filed in two fatal shootings by Chicago police
Issue date: 1/15/07 Section: News Briefs
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A law firm active in police misconduct litigation filed two federal wrongful death lawsuits Thursday in the police shootings of two Chicago men in separate incidents last year.
"Both men were unarmed and in both cases the Chicago Police Department whitewashed the conduct of the officers," attorney Jon Loevy of Loevy & Loevy said in announcing the lawsuits at a news conference.
The first lawsuit stems from the April 7, 2006 shooting of Demetri Centera, 31, by off-duty Officer Edward P. Yerke and names Yerke and the city of Chicago as defendants. A second man, Kenneth W. Elrod, 31, also was killed in that incident, which allegedly occurred after an altercation between Elrod and Yerke at a Northwest Side nightclub.
A police investigation found that Yerke feared the two men were going to attempt to carjack his Humvee, so he fired nine shots into their vehicle, killing Elrod, who was driving, and Centera, the passenger.
Loevy denied that Elrod and Centera, both $30-an-hour plumbers, intended a carjacking.
The second lawsuit involves the May 3, 2006 shooting death of Michael Dunbar, 30, by an unnamed officer and names the city as its sole defendant. Dunbar had been sitting in the driveway of a parking lot with a female passenger when they were approached by two officers. He was shot while attempting to drive away.
The police investigation said Dunbar was shot because he was dragging one of the officers, an account Loevy disputes.
"Both men were unarmed and in both cases the Chicago Police Department whitewashed the conduct of the officers," attorney Jon Loevy of Loevy & Loevy said in announcing the lawsuits at a news conference.
The first lawsuit stems from the April 7, 2006 shooting of Demetri Centera, 31, by off-duty Officer Edward P. Yerke and names Yerke and the city of Chicago as defendants. A second man, Kenneth W. Elrod, 31, also was killed in that incident, which allegedly occurred after an altercation between Elrod and Yerke at a Northwest Side nightclub.
A police investigation found that Yerke feared the two men were going to attempt to carjack his Humvee, so he fired nine shots into their vehicle, killing Elrod, who was driving, and Centera, the passenger.
Loevy denied that Elrod and Centera, both $30-an-hour plumbers, intended a carjacking.
The second lawsuit involves the May 3, 2006 shooting death of Michael Dunbar, 30, by an unnamed officer and names the city as its sole defendant. Dunbar had been sitting in the driveway of a parking lot with a female passenger when they were approached by two officers. He was shot while attempting to drive away.
The police investigation said Dunbar was shot because he was dragging one of the officers, an account Loevy disputes.
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