Chicago approves $5.25 million for police cases

By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago City Council approved on Wednesday $5.25 million in settlements in two alleged police misconduct cases: the fatal shooting of a black teenager and a botched manslaughter investigation involving a former mayor's nephew. The council agreed that the third-largest U.S. city pay $5 million to the family of Laquan McDonald, 17, six months after he was shot 16 times by a police officer. The U.S. Department of Justice and state authorities are investigating McDonald's death at a time of increased scrutiny of police conduct around the country, including the indictment last week of a South Carolina police officer on a murder charge in the death of an unarmed black man. The council also approved a $250,000 payment to Nanci Koschman, the mother of David Koschman, 21, who died in 2004 after being punched by Richard J. Vanecko, the nephew of then- Mayor Richard M. Daley and grandson of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley. Vanecko pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year, after lengthy investigations by the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper and a special prosecutor. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office declined to seek charges while Richard M. Daley was mayor. Nanci Koschman's federal lawsuit accused the police of conspiring to protect Vanecko, including fabricating evidence. Chicago's chief lawyer said the settlements would save the city money in future litigation. Chicago paid $54 million in 2014 in verdicts and settlements from lawsuits against the police. Also at Wednesday's meeting, a proposed ordinance was introduced requiring the city to pay $5.5 million and make other reparations to dozens of victims of police torture in the 1970s and 1980s. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the reparations package on Tuesday. The council is expected to vote on it at a later meeting. (Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Eric Beech)