Elk Grove Village will pay $10.5 million to the family of a man who was fatally shot by police officers while in emotional distress in 2023, despite objections from the mayor.
Village board members voted Tuesday night to approve a settlement for the family of Jack Murray, who officers shot on Dec. 1, 2023, and the release of liability against the village and its officers, as required by the insurer. The family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in 2024 alleging officers acted negligently and failed to follow department policies and training during the fatal shooting.
“No amount of money can ever bring Jack Murray back, but my sincere hope is that this family can rest a little easier knowing the accountability that this case was able to achieve,” said attorney Joshua Levin at a Wednesday news conference announcing the settlement.
Fighting back tears, Murray’s mother, Donna Murray, said, “We are truly fractured, we are broken and that can never be fixed. Yes, [Jack] struggled, but those struggles do not define him.”
During Tuesday’s village board meeting, Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said the settlement payment will come from the village’s insurance providers and not taxpayers. He defended the officers’ actions, claiming the village had no choice but to accept the settlement after receiving an “ultimatum” from its insurance providers.
“I am beyond disappointed with the outcome, given that our officers were completely exonerated in their actions by multiple agencies,” Johnson said at the meeting. “I commend them for following the appropriate protocols that they’ve been taught throughout a tense and difficult situation following the incident.”
“In this village we back our blue a thousand percent,” Johnson added. “Officers were exonerated, and that needs to be remembered on this.”
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges against the officers based on “insufficient” evidence. Prosecutors said their decision was “based entirely on the relevant criminal laws and standards of proof” and “does not limit civil actions.”
But attorney Antonio Romanucci said Wednesday the decision to settle does not mean the officers were exonerated, and called Johnson’s comments “appalling.”
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before the Dec. 2023 shooting, officers found Murray on the sidewalk outside his home holding a knife. In body-worn camera video released by the village, officers make repeated commands for Murray to put his hands up as he walks down the street in the direction of the police. Officers appear to shock him with a Taser, then seconds later open fire.
Attorneys representing Murray’s family have repeatedly argued that officers failed to de-escalate the situation and did not follow protocols for responding to a person experiencing mental distress.
Murray was a Type 1 diabetic whose behavior could become erratic depending on his insulin levels, according to his family. He had also struggled with mental health issues since the age of 14.
And Murray routinely called Elk Grove Village police when he thought his health or wellness might be in danger. On the afternoon of the shooting, he again called the police.
Months after Murray’s death, his family sued the village and five members of the Elk Grove Village Police Department.