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Chicago Approves $280K Settlement for Activist Injured by Police at 2020 Protest

Miracle Boyd, who lost a tooth after being struck by a former officer during a protest, shared an emotional plea before the City Council committee's approval.

Miracle Boyd shows her broken teeth as she and members of Good Kids Mad City (GKMC) talk to reporters in Grant Park on July 20, 2020. Boyd shared her story about how she said she was unjustly targeted and attacked by a Chicago police officer at a Christopher Columbus statue protest a few days earlier. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • Miracle Boyd, an activist injured by a Chicago police officer during a 2020 protest at the Christopher Columbus statue, will receive a $280,000 settlement pending final approval by the City Council on Wednesday.
  • Boyd, then 18, had her front tooth knocked out when former officer Nicholas Jovanovich struck her phone, which hit her face; the Civilian Office of Police Accountability found the officer used excessive force.
  • The protest at Grant Park involved clashes between demonstrators and police, with activists attempting to tear down the Columbus statue, which was later removed by the city.
  • Boyd, now 23, described lasting emotional and physical harm from the incident, criticizing the officer's false reporting and his resignation before facing disciplinary action.
  • The settlement has drawn mixed reactions within the City Council, with some members opposing it by citing the chaotic nature of the protest and Boyd's public fundraising efforts post-incident.