CROWN POINT â An attorney for a Whiting family said this week a $1.2 million settlement was reached in a federal lawsuit against East Chicago, Hammond and five of the cities police officers involved in a deadly pursuit four years ago.
The high-speed chase Feb. 15, 2017, resulted in the death of 13-year-old Julianna Chambers and severely injured her grandmother Theresa Paramo. Our primary concern was not only to provide compensation to the family for the indescribable harm they suffered, but also to ensure this lawsuit led to positive changes in police procedures during high-speed pursuits, attorney Lawrence T. Ruder said.
Ruder, who represented the family along with Merrillville attorney Thomas A. Clements, said there is national consensus among experts in the U.S. that high-speed police pursuits are inherently dangerous to the community and can lead to serious injury or death.