Dashcam video shows driver speed away from cop before fatal crash that is subject of lawsuit against Oak Park police

April 06-- Apr. 6--The Oak Park Police Department has released dashcam video of the night police said a 25-year-old Chicago man sped away from a traffic stop and went on to run a red light and hit a car. The two occupants of the car died, and police said additional charges have since been filed against the man.

Police said Kendall R. Harrison, 25, of the 1300 block of North Washtenaw Avenue in Chicago, was driving an SUV that crashed into a sedan the night of March 9 following the traffic stop.

The video, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department via a Freedom of Information Act request, shows police pulling over the SUV and an officer approaching the vehicle. While the officer stands next to the SUV and looks inside, the video shows the driver speeding away. As police drive toward the area where the SUV was headed, the video shows the car that had been crashed into.

According to the Cook County sheriff's office, Harrison is currently being held on $800,000 bond and was set to appear in court April 8 in Maywood.

On April 4, police learned the Cook County state's attorney's office indicted Harrison on six counts of aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death and two counts of reckless homicide, according to Oak Park village spokesman David Powers.

According to police, Harrison was stopped in his SUV on South Boulevard near Humphrey Avenue at 10:30 p.m. March 9. As the officer approached the SUV on foot, the SUV sped away, police said. Police then said the SUV ran a red light while traveling west on South Boulevard and crashed into a sedan driven by Joy Tyus, 28.

Tyus and a passenger in the sedan, 30-year-old Pierre Shelton, were both taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, police said. Tyus died at about 11 p.m. the night of the crash at the hospital, while Shelton died March 17 as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, police said.

One day after his death, Shelton's family filed a lawsuit against the Oak Park Police Department, alleging police engaged in a "reckless and unnecessary" chase that led to the accident.

Cook County Sheriff's Office

Kendall R. Harrison

Kendall R. Harrison (Cook County Sheriff's Office)

A message left with attorney Michael Sorich of the Cavanagh Law Group, which is representing Shelton's family, was not immediately returned on April 5.

In its lawsuit, the family is seeking from the village of Oak Park and Harrison a judgment entered "in an amount in excess of the jurisdictional limits of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, plus costs."

According to the complaint, an on-duty police officer "was engaged in the pursuit" of the SUV driven by Harrison. Oak Park police, however, said in a March 10 statement "the officer had not initiated a chase when the SUV struck the sedan in the intersection of South Boulevard and Ridgeland Avenue."

On April 5, Powers again said the village stands by its initial statement.

"We respectfully decline to comment further since litigation is pending," Powers said.

The lawsuit also alleges Harrison of being "negligent" in the operation of his vehicle by failing "to reduce speed to avoid colliding with the vehicle occupied" by Shelton.

According to a police report detailing the incident, Harrison attempted to flee from the crash scene, but was quickly apprehended by officers. Police said Harrison was found to be driving on a revoked driver's license and was unable to provide proof of insurance.

Two days after the crash, police learned through medical records that Harrison's blood alcohol level was .038, below the legal limit of .08, however, blood tests revealed Harrison had marijuana and methamphetamine in his system. Police said Harrison was also found to be in possession of two pink tablets shaped like "poop emojis," which field tested positive for MDMA, commonly known as ecstacy.

Harrison was initially charged with one count of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence. Following Shelton's death, however, authorities said the case was being reviewed again to determine if additional charges would be brought against Harrison.

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