Kenneth Elrod Lawsuit: Family Of Man Slain By Off-Duty Chicago Cop Awarded $1.35 Million Settlement

A jury late last week awarded a $1.35 million settlement to the family of a man who, in 2006, was fatally shot by an off-duty Chicago police officer.

Kenneth Elrod and his friend Demetri Centera were fatally shot by police officer Edward Yerke after an altercation outside a bar on the city's Northwest Side in April 2006, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Yerke was formally cleared of wrongdoing in the incident, the Chicago Tribune reports, but attorney Gregory E. Kulis, who represented Elrod's wife, claimed that the officer fired excessive gunshots at the man.

Elrod, according to the Tribune, got into a fight with Yerke and other off-duty cops at Magic Touch Club, 5728 W. Belmont. Elrod was so angered by the altercation that he went to his home, picked up two guns and returned, with Centera, to the area to confront the officers at a stop light. That is when Elrod reportedly opened fire.

According to ABC Chicago, police feel the shooting was justified -- but the jury in Elrod's trial disagreed.

Photo by supafly via Flickr.

Comments

[ARNOST]

05:11 PM on 02/14/2012

that is if you believe the cops story.

[Robert Godwin]

01:28 PM on 02/14/2012

Cops were not shot at according to the story. Cop gunned down two men. One had two guns on him, One was unarmed. Read people.

[sidecarman]

12:30 PM on 02/14/2012

not nearly enough. there needs to be much larger punitive damages. there are hundreds of cases like this that need to be settled.

[retired2violin]

11:22 AM on 02/14/2012

and! the lawyer will get approximately 60% of this money, because you have to pay for all photo copies, phone calls, sending someone to the court house for whatever the lawyer thinks of.

[LilaGrace]

02:37 PM on 02/14/2012

Standard trial fee is 40-44% of any money awarded. In this case that comes to between $540,000 to $594,000, assuming that the family ever collects anything at all. I'm betting that between appeals and general stalling, the only ones who might get anything are the dead man's grandchildren.

[Orange22]

10:50 AM on 02/14/2012

ah the ghetto lottery, act like an animal and the family gets paid....this is wrong rewarding criminal activity, be like china give them a bill for the bullets used against the perps

[canoeal]

10:07 AM on 02/14/2012

If your gonna shoot unload the whole gun....Make sure the target is hit...

[bbowens8]

02:41 PM on 02/14/2012

I SURE HOPE THE COPS REMEMBER THAT IF THEY EVER HAVE TO SHOOT YOU. THEN I WILL GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR A JOB WELL DONE.

[discdom]

09:20 AM on 02/14/2012

The only thing missing is their kindergarten pictures and the usual they wanted to help the community. Of course since they were thugs trying to ambush an off duty cop they got what they deserved.

[sevoman]

09:16 AM on 02/14/2012

jurors can be (certainly in this case) STUPID, I hope the city appeals

[lwsmidnight1946]

08:16 AM on 02/14/2012

This time I applaud the jury. Thank you for making a wise decision. The cops often get away with murder.

[bcunnin679]

09:01 AM on 02/14/2012

Elrod was so mad he went home, got 2 guns and then confronted the cops. His family should have gotten nothing but a group rate to anger management classes.

[Orange22]

10:51 AM on 02/14/2012

i guess you do stickups as a part time job

[joeypad]

07:50 AM on 02/14/2012

welcome to the world of stupidity they shoot at cop ..cop shoots back and they win millions..something is wrong with this picture..jury of fools

[Bob Cohn]

09:08 AM on 02/14/2012

Can I give the officer a medal?? and a raise........??

[joeypad]

10:01 AM on 02/14/2012

sorry i didnt think of that bob..hope the city appeals this asanine verdict

[Bob Cohn]

11:38 AM on 02/14/2012

They'll fold........it's only taxpayers money........

[Robert Godwin]

01:31 PM on 02/14/2012

They did not shoot at cop. Only one had a gun, but did not fire it. The one murdered by cop was UNARMED. Read the story again.

[joeypad]

02:41 PM on 02/14/2012

i did read it again aho and it said he shot at the cops at a light..dont know what version you are reading but say it again play with fire you get burned..it was not murder .you must like the race card when things dont go your way

[roger g]

09:14 PM on 02/14/2012

It says Elrod went home and got 2 guns--

[nole777]

07:49 AM on 02/14/2012

This shows where the jurors had their heads.

[retired2violin]

11:25 AM on 02/14/2012

they did not want a Watts riot again. If you do not pander to the ghetto mind, you get a riot.

[nole777]

04:44 PM on 02/14/2012

That's a sad commentary on jurors in the big cities.

[sharkcrazy59]

07:44 AM on 02/14/2012

Let me get this stright. This punk elrod had a fight , went home and got a gun, came back to lie in wait for the cops and started shooting. Elrod's family was awarded the money! Unbelievable. It is no wonder to me that the country is going under. The cop should have gotten a commendation and maybe a bonus.

[Robert Godwin]

01:20 PM on 02/14/2012

It does not say anywhere that Elrod fired his weapon . Only that he had two at the time. The article is written the way it is to inflame the reader. There has got to be a lot more information on this one that tells all the facts. Based on what it does say however, I would feel much safer in Chicago with people like Officer Yerke on watch, and people like Elrod taking a dirt nap.

[smile2377]

06:12 AM on 02/14/2012

This is another example of our flawed justice system. It's a stone cold fact that the huge majority of well educated jurors opt out of jury duty. We need to devise some sort of minimum competency test for anyone who will serve on a jury. Having worked in the legal system for a number of years, if I ever, God forbid, have to trial, I am going to waive my right to a jury trial and go with the judge. At least it will be in the hands of a reasonably intelligent person. The odds of this, while not perfect, are a lot better than dealing with a jury.

[Robin Generaux]

10:40 AM on 02/14/2012

Yeah, God save us from a jury of our "peers."

[rs196970]

06:05 AM on 02/14/2012

So this what its coming to, you can shoot at police and sue. OMG WHAT A COUNTRY

[lwsmidnight1946]

08:15 AM on 02/14/2012

The cops are not always in the right. Usually the criminal justice system,i e., the jury sides with any police action. In this case the deceased should not have went home to get a firearm. The police oftentimes get away with excessive force and are exonerated, based upon the district attorney leading the grand jury.

[rs196970]

06:04 AM on 02/14/2012

WAKE UP YOU SHOOT AT A COP. WELL TO BAD YOU DIE. THAT JURY WAS BLINDED BAD

[retired2violin]

11:28 AM on 02/14/2012

The thinking that goes with shooting is "If you shoot at someone with a gun, you most certainly will shoot someone that does not have a gun". That is why, a law is needed to put these fools in jail if they try to shoot a policeman.

[Robert Godwin]

01:23 PM on 02/14/2012

They did not shoot at police. Police gunned them down. Research the story.

[goodlucktu]

02:33 PM on 02/14/2012

what story are you reading? Elrrod opened fire at a stoplight..