In Blake v. City of Rockford (N.D. Ill. 2024), CJK was retained to represent the City of Rockford and its Officer Krantz in a deadly force police-involved shooting case, in which Plaintiff alleged constitutional violations pursuant to Section 1983. Officer Krantz shot and killed a suspect with mental health difficulties after the City barricaded his house for about 9 hours. After 20 plus depositions and retention and depositions of experts, we were able to convince Plaintiff’s counsel at a summary judgment conference that the use of deadly force was reasonable and not a constitutional deprivation. Plaintiffs dismissed the federal claims but refiled in state court alleging wrongful death. Ultimately, based on the strength of our legal arguments, CJK successfully negotiated a settlement of $250,000 reduced from an initial demand of $3.5 million.
