Family of 13-Year-Old Killed in Cleveland Police Chase Settles for $4.8 Million

Tamia Chappman, 13, died Dec. 20, 2019 after the car, stolen by two teenagers, crashed into her in East Cleveland during the high-speed pursuit.

April 24, 2024

The family of Tamia Chappman, a 13-year-old girl killed in 2019 during a chase between a stolen car and Cleveland police officers, announced Monday they have settled their civil lawsuit with the city of Cleveland for $4.8 million.

Tamia died Dec. 20, 2019 after the car, stolen by two teenagers, crashed into her in East Cleveland during the high-speed pursuit, Cleveland 19 reports.

A Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas judge sentenced the 16-year-old driver in Oct. of 2021 to a prison term of 26 to 31 years, with at least nine years being mandatory.

The second teen, who was a passenger, pleaded guilty in juvenile court in April 2020 and was sentenced to four years at the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

Tamia’s family filed a lawsuit against the city in May of 2020.

Recommended
375x480 Data Driven Policing Cover Thumbnail 1195772168 En Na Final Sept23 (1)
Data-Driven Policing: Leveraging Telematics for Optimized Police Fleet Performance
Banner Final Skydio X10 Outdoor Shipping Yard
Webinars
DFR at Work: OKCPD’s Drones Help Find Six Missing Persons
Banner Final Faro 10 15 24
Webinars
Who Did It? Unraveling Mysteries with 3D Forensic Technology
Gov Public Perception
How Fleet Management Technology Can Help Control Costs and Improve Public Perception
Related Stories
The Regulators are a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy subgroup--often called a 'gang'--whose logo allegedly depicts a skeleton in a cowboy hat, as seen here outside the Lynwood jail.
Point of Law
California Deputy’s Lawsuit Says He Was Fired for Not Joining Sheriff’s Department “Gang”
Point Of Law Rgb 2 Col
Point of Law
Point of Law: The Good-Faith Exception in Probable Cause
The Department of Justice says this photo shows Jeffrey Sabol holding a baton against the throat of a downed police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
Point of Law
Man Gets 5 Years for Attacking Officer During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
Point Of Law Rgb 2 Col
Point of Law
Point of Law: The Duty of Care in Law Enforcement
More in Point of Law
Point of Law
Boise Sergeant Settles with City for $850K Over Training Injury Allegedly Caused by Former Chief
In the lawsuit, Sgt. Kirk Rush, a member of the Boise Police Department’s K-9 Unit, alleged that in October 2021 then Chief Lee demonstrated a neck hold on him without consent during a training exercise, causing injures that later required surgery.
Point of Law
Supreme Court Reviewing Police Use of Deadly Force Case
In an order Friday, the court said it will consider the standard for analyzing whether an officer’s conduct was a reasonable use of force under the Fourth Amendment when their safety is threatened.
Point of Law
Federal Prosecutors File New Indictment Against Former Officers Involved in Breonna Taylor Case
In August, U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson declared that the actions of Taylor’s boyfriend were the legal cause of her death, not a bad warrant.
Training
Widow Sues Indiana Agency Over Husband’s Training Death
The 11-page civil complaint filed last week by the deputy’s wife claims that the academy and its training staff put the deputy at undue risk of injury and death.
Deputy Asson Hacker of the Vanderburgh County (Indiana) Sheriff's Office died March 2, 2023, after suffering a medical emergency during training.
Point of Law
Lawsuit Settlement Prohibits Washington City's Officers from Personalizing Equipment
The agreement also requires that Olympia Police Chief Rich Allen, his deputy and assistant chiefs and the four officers involved in the incident complete state training “on the historical intersection between race and policing.”
Point of Law
Maryland Officer Convicted of Throwing Smoke Bomb During Jan. 6 Riot
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden heard two days of trial testimony without a jury this week before he found Montgomery County Police Officer Justin Lee guilty of two felonies and three misdemeanors.
Point of Law
Wounded Illinois Officer Awarded $3 Million in Lawsuit Against Shooter’s Estate, Agency
Sgt. Patrick Carrier was responding to a call about a shooting the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, when the suspect shot him in the shoulder with an AR-15 rifle.
Point of Law
Seattle Officer Fired for Comments at Crash Sues City for $20M
In the claim Officer Daniel Auderer says SPD leaked false information about disciplinary proceedings as well as personal information. He claims he was wrongfully terminated and the decision to fire him was retaliatory
Point of Law
Supreme Court Justice Says America Has Too Many Laws
Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that federal crimes have nearly doubled in his lifetime, saying "nobody knows how many federal crimes there are because it would take years just to read them."
Point of Law
Family of Slain Officer Wants Progressive DA Recalled for Refusal to Seek Death Penalty for Suspected Killer
The family has been pushing for the suspect to be convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death ever since, but they found out Tuesday night that Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner would be declining to do so.
Point of Law
Jury Awards $680K to 4 Seattle Protesters Arrested for Writing Anti-Police Graffiti
Derek Tucson, Robin Snyder, Monsieree De Castro and Erik Moya-Delgado were each awarded $20,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000 in punitive damages when the 10-person jury returned its verdict late Friday.
Point of Law
DOJ Says Phoenix Police Violated Constitutional Rights
The report says the department discriminates against certain races, as well as people with behavioral health disabilities. The report also found that Phoenix police detain and arrest people who are homeless without legal grounds.
Page 1 of 159
Next Page