Jury awards $1.2M to man shot by Chicago police in 2011

CHICAGO – Jurors have awarded $1.2 million to a man who was shot by a Chicago police officer when he was a teenager.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Derquann Wilson was 15-years-old in 2011 when Officer Sajit Walter shot him. Thursday’s decision from a Cook County jury was the second time the case went to trial. The first trial ended in a hung jury.

Wilson was riding in the front seat of a vehicle when two police cars pulled the vehicle over. Walter fired into the vehicle, striking Wilson. Another passenger also was hit.

Walter has said he fired because he was afraid for his life as the vehicle came at him when the driver tried to flee. Walter also said he saw a backseat passenger point what he believed was a gun at him. No gun was found.

___

Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://chicago.suntimes.com/