Police officer fired for 2017 pursuit crash that killed 2

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago police officer involved in a 2017 vehicle chase that ended in a crash that killed an off-duty officer and a woman was fired Thursday.

Officer Jamie Jawor was accused of driving over 100 mph on June 27, 2017 as she and her partner chased Taylor Clark. Authorities say it hasn't been determined why Clark fled from police. At the time, the Chicago Police Department claimed his Jeep looked like a vehicle involved in a carjacking.

As he was being pursued, Clark, 32, ran a red light and crashed into a vehicle driven by Chequita Adams, 27, killing both.

The Chicago Police Board voted to fire Jawor on a 2019 recommendation of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. The police oversight office said Jawor failed to drive her unmarked police vehicle safely.

Then-police Superintendent Eddie Johnson disagreed with COPA's findings, saying Jawor's actions were proper. Police Board member Paula Wolff determined Johnson's objections did not meet the burden to override COPA's recommendation for discipline.

Jawor was accused of several police department violations, including bringing discredit to the department, falling to promote its goals and inattention to duty. The charges alleged Jawor failed to determine if the importance of chasing Clark outweighed the dangers of a vehicle pursuit.

In October 2019, the Chicago paid $4.9 million to Adams' family. A lawsuit by Clark's family claiming the pursuit of his Jeep was without legal justification is pending in Cook County court.