The family of Tarika Wilson, an unarmed African-American woman who was killed by a white police officer during a drug raid in January 2008, received a wrongful death settlement against the city for $2.5 million.
The shooting officer, Sgt. Joseph Chavalia was a member of the SWAT team who raided Wilson’s home were looking for her boyfriend, a suspect drug dealer. During the raid, Wilson and her six children were in a bedroom when Chavalia, who testified he felt his life was in danger, recklessly fired three shots into the bedroom. The shots killed Wilson and injured her infant son that she was holding.
Chavalia was aquitted of criminal charges and has returned to work. He can no longer patrol the streets. The case was settle by the insurance company on the city’s behalf.
