City to offer $2.9 million settlement to Anjanette Young over botched police raid

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration is proposing a $2.9 million settlement for Anjanette Young over a botched police raid, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Alderpersons were told in closed-door briefings Sunday evening about the proposed settlement amount. Young’s and three other settlements are on the agenda for the Finance Committee meeting Monday. The other three cases have proposed settlement amounts listed, but Anjanette Young v. City of Chicago did not.

Young, a social worker, was in her Near West Side home the night of Feb. 21, 2019, when several Chicago police officers entered, announcing a raid. Young was undressed and getting ready for bed at the time, and she was forced to remain naked in front of the officers for 40 minutes as the ordeal unfolded.

Lightfoot’s office and the Law Department did not respond to requests for comment on the proposed settlement amount.

On Friday, Lightfoot’s office released a statement: “It is our expectation that on Monday, the Finance Committee will be presented with a proposed settlement for consideration regarding Ms. Young. Out of deference to that process, we will not be commenting further.”

Lightfoot originally claimed she had known nothing about the botched raid until WBBM-TV (Channel 2) aired the video in December 2020. But after reviewing internal emails, the mayor admitted a top aide brought the raid to her attention in November of 2019.

“I have a lot of questions about this one,” she wrote at the time to top aides.

Young’s attorney, Keenan Saulter, could not be reached for comment.

Contributing: Tom Schuba