Karen Henry Obituary, Death; – The mother of a woman who lost her life during a police pursuit in Chicago last fall has initiated legal action against the city, claiming that the police officers acted contrary to departmental policies during the chase, which led to the woman’s demise.
The woman, referred to in the lawsuit as Karen Henry, aged 61, was fatally injured in November when a stolen vehicle collided with another car and a CTA bus in the Washington Park area. Thirteen additional individuals sustained injuries in the incident. The lawsuit, submitted on June 18 in the Cook County Circuit Court, does not specify any officers involved in the alleged misconduct.
On the evening of the crash on November 20, 2024, police officers observed a vehicle in the 6800 block of South State Street traveling at high speed and “into oncoming traffic,” as reported by authorities at that time. Officers pursued the vehicle into an intersection in the 6000 block of State, where it initially collided with another vehicle before striking a CTA bus.
The lawsuit claims that the officers did not seek or obtain authorization to engage in the pursuit. It charges the officers with “utter indifference to or conscious disregard for the safety of others.”
The lawsuit contends that the officers failed to terminate the pursuit “when it was the most reasonable course of action.” As of Monday afternoon, the city had not yet been served with the complaint, according to Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban, who noted that the city refrains from commenting on ongoing litigation.
The suit, which requests a jury trial, was filed by Bethel Branford, Henry’s mother and executor of her estate, as stated in a news release. It seeks at least $50,000 in damages.
“Every day I am utterly heartbroken by the loss of my beautiful daughter and the senselessness of it all,” Branford expressed in the release. “This tragedy never had to occur if the Chicago police had exercised common sense by prioritizing the safety of the community over a car chase. I now pray for accountability and that such a tragedy never befalls another family again.”
Attorneys representing Branford at Romanucci & Bl
