$8.75M settlement to children of man shot to death during domestic violence call gets approval

CHICAGO - Chicago taxpayers will spend $8.75 million to compensate the family of a 61-year-old man who was shot to death by a Chicago police officer who responded to a call about a woman "threatening her husband with a knife."

The $8.75 million award to the adult son and minor child of Michael Craig was the largest of three settlements approved Monday by the City Council’s Finance Committee for a total of $11.26 million.

The larger of the other two — for $2 million — was narrowly rejected by the City Council in July. It stems from a 2014 police shooting that killed Darius Cole-Garrit.

Before that earlier 26-to-22 vote, Ald. Bill Conway (34th), a former assistant state’s attorney, noted that eight of the shots fired by officers who chased Cole-Garrit on foot were "in the front" of the victim’s body. That means he was facing the officers. Conway voted "no" again Monday.

He has said the Independent Police Review Authority, the oversight body that preceded the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, had cleared the officers involved in the case. There is no bodycam video.

The larger settlement involves Michael Craig, who was shot and killed by Chicago police officer Alberto Covarrubias on Oct. 4, 2021.

Covarrubias, who remains on the force, was responding to the latest in a series of domestic violence calls at that same address.

This time, Craig had personally called 911 to say his wife had "a knife on me, on the bed, on my throat."

"She’s got a knife on my neck, I can’t move. If I move she’s gonna kill me," Craig is heard saying on audio of the 911 call released after the shooting.

The victim is then heard telling his son: "Go downstairs so you can let the police in. Go. Do like I said, go downstairs."

When Covarrubias arrived at the Gresham apartment building in the 7700 block of South Carpenter, Craig’s 7-year-old son was indeed "standing outside the apartment building waiting for them," Deputy Corporation Counsel Caroline Fronczak told alderpersons Monday.

"That child indicated that his mother had the knife to his father’s throat," Fronczak said.

"When the medical examiner reviewed the injuries to Mr. Craig, there were multiple stab wounds on him that she characterized as defensive. … So all indications are that the woman was, in fact, threatening and actually stabbing the man with a knife."

Body-worn camera footage released by COPA showed Covarrubias walking up the stairs to the couple’s second floor apartment with a Taser in his right hand.

From the stairwell outside the door, the officer announced, "Chicago police" and Craig was heard yelling back: "She got a butcher knife to my neck!"

As the officer prepared to step through the door, Craig’s wife screamed and the officer drew his pistol, switching the Taser to his left hand.

He fired the first shot almost immediately after crossing the threshold of the apartment door, as Craig and his wife appeared to struggle in a narrow hallway between the kitchen and bathroom. Craig and the woman fell to the floor, and the officer fired a second shot as Craig tried to sit up while the officer shouted, "Stop! Stop! Stop touching her."

The settlement, to be paid to Craig’s adult son Patrick Jenkins and a "minor son," was approved by a unanimous voice vote.

"The Department of Law believes the potential exposure in this case is reasonably high, given the 911 calls identifying that the female was the one that was threatening the husband with the knife," Fronczak said.

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said there were "things that were shared" during closed-door aldermanic briefings on the case that "make me deeply angry."

La Spata did not elaborate, but he got Fronczak to acknowledge that the second shot was fired while Craig was on the ground.

"I’m gonna let that sit … for a minute," the alderperson said.

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) added, "He knew the situation and went in shooting?"

Fronczak noted that "only one officer actually saw" the struggle.

"He believed the man was the aggressor toward the woman, but a post-shooting investigation indicates otherwise," Fronczak said.

COPA and CPD both recommended "discipline" for Covarrubias that is "currently under review in this case," Fronczak said.

The smallest of the three settlements — for $515,000 — went to a gay Chicago firefighter who went on extended leave after being harassed by a deputy chief who was subsequently disciplined for that behavior.