The city of Chicago is set to shell out $1.75 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Irene Chavez, a 33-year-old woman who died in a police holding cell after being arrested in December 2021. CBS Chicago reported that Chavez was found hanged inside a cell at a South Side police station following an altercation at Jeffery Pub in the South Shore neighborhood.
The settlement is expected to be voted on by the City Council Finance Committee, according to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times. If approved, the Chavez family's lawsuit will come to an end, one that charged the Chicago Police Department with failing to recognize and accommodate Chavez's mental health issues. Chavez had claimed to be a military veteran suffering from PTSD and had requested medical attention, but instead was met with ridicule and placed in a cell with covered windows, which limited visibility for monitoring.
Footage from the incident shows Chavez interacting with officers and asserting self-defense, as well as displaying signs of mental distress. Body camera videos showed that after being taken into custody, Chavez sang “You are my sunshine” with officers responding with laughter. Later on, her silence prompted a check from the officers, finding her with her T-shirt tied around her neck, leading to frantic efforts to save her life.
Attorney Sheila Bedi, representing the Chavez family in their federal civil rights lawsuit, famously stated that Irene "died because CPD officers failed to recognize her humanity" and refused to treat her as if her "life mattered," observed a CBS Chicago report. The lawsuit details multiple missed opportunities where officers could have taken Chavez to the hospital or sought mental health services for her. Instead, Chavez remained in the holding cell where she died, leaving the family in deep loss and the city with questions to answer about the treatment of individuals in custody.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability concluded its investigation into Chavez's death last year but has not yet released its final report. This report is expected to include recommendations for any needed disciplinary actions against the officers involved. The family, through their attorney Andrew M. Stroth, has expressed their desire for significant changes in how police deal with mental health issues, with hope that such a tragedy never replays itself against another family. Stroth told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Nothing will bring back Irene Chavez. This family lost their daughter, their sister. The actions of police officers that evening resulted in her tragic death."
