Lawsuit claims unjustified police pursuit caused deadly Southwest Side crash

A lawsuit filed Friday claims an unnecessary Chicago Police pursuit caused a crash that killed two suburban men last year on the Southwest Side.

The suit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of 21-year-old Jahaziel Duron, one of two men who died in the crash on Oct. 19, 2014.

At the time, authorities said that Duron and 27-year-old Hugo Rodriguez were in a vehicle speeding in the 4000 block of West Ogden when it struck the back of a squad car, then crashed into a building.

Duron, of Berwyn, and Rodriguez, of Elgin, were dead at the scene, authorities said. A sergeant in the squad car was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening, police said at the time.

But the lawsuit claims that the vehicle was actually fleeing from police before it crashed with the squad car.

It alleges that officers saw the vehicle — driven by Rodriguez — speeding northbound on Kedzie near Cermak and tried to visually and verbally stop it, but Rodriguez kept driving.

The officers then got in their own vehicle and began a pursuit, the suit said. It claims they tried to box in and ram the mens’ vehicle, eventually forcing the crash.

Although Rodriguez was driving erratically, the suit said it did not justify a police chase that put others’ safety at risk.

Among its rules for motor vehicle pursuits, Chicago Police directives prohibit officers from continuing a chase when the suspect is wanted for nothing more serious than a theft or a hazardous traffic violation that isn’t a DUI. Rules also say police should avoid chasing a vehicle that ignores traffic signals when entering an intersection.

A spokesman for the city’s law department said it had not been served with the suit Friday evening.

Duron left behind relative Jazelle Duron, a minor who is the independent administrator of his estate, the suit said. Since Jazelle is a minor, the lawsuit was filed by a guardian.

The one-count, wrongful death complaint is asking for an unspecified amount in damages.