Man struck by Palatine squad car sues

Lawyer Christopher Pierce said he's unaware whether his client, 29-year-old Nicholas Pieri, was drinking in the hours before a Palatine squad car struck him in July. Further, Pierce said it shouldn't matter.

The Fox Lake attorney filed a lawsuit against the village of Palatine and the unidentified officer behind the wheel on behalf of Pieri, who was critically injured in the collision.

"Even if he was (drinking), does it mean you have the right to mow him down," Pierce said. "Drinking is a legal activity."

The lawsuit says Pieri, a Palatine resident, was "walking on a public way exercising due care for his own safety" around 12:27 a.m. July 18 near the 400 block of Smith Road. The officer, it reads, committed one of more wrongful acts such as negligently operating the vehicle, failing to keep a good and sufficient lookout ahead, operating the car too fast for conditions and operating the vehicle without headlights.

As a result of those actions, Pieri sustained severe and permanent injuries, suffered great pain, incurred medical expenses and lost time from employment, the suit states.

He's seeking damages in excess of $50,000 in the suit, which also names the Buffalo Grove Police Department, which investigated the incident, and the Northwest Central Dispatch System as defendants.

Palatine Police Cmdr. Kurt Schroeder said an administrative review determined the officer could not have prevented striking Pieri. The Buffalo Grove Police Department also investigated the technical aspects of the collision. Pieri had been drinking and was not in a crosswalk when he stepped off the curb and into the squad car's path, Schroeder added. Pieri was not cited because he was injured and going through a difficult time, Schroeder said.

Pierce said he hopes the village will settle out of court.

"This is not an attempt to disparage Palatine police, but we think the driver bore most of the responsibility," Pierce said. "He was operating a deadly thing and people are made of flesh."

The accident was the second involving a squad car and a pedestrian this year in Palatine. In May, an officer responding to an emergency call struck a man near Rand and Dundee roads. The officer was also cleared of wrongdoing, in this case by Arlington Heights police.