Teen Accidentally Shot By Cop Gets $1.9M Settlement

CHICAGO — On the eve of trial, representatives of the city of Des Plaines decided to offer $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a teenager shot by one of its police officers nearly four years ago.

Rylan Wilder, then 15 and a promising guitarist, was shot on Nov. 19, 2019, by Des Plaines police officer James Armstrong with an AR-15 rifle as the cop chased a bank robbery suspect into Upbeat Music & Arts, the northwest side music school where Wilder was an intern.

Video from inside the music school provided by Wilder's attorneys shows the bank robbery suspect, Christopher Willis, run into the the school, followed a few seconds later by Armstrong.

Willis had been fleeing police in a carjacked vehicle and, moments earlier, had shot at pursing officers and wounded a Chicago cop.

The video shows Wilder is running away from Willis and toward Armstrong, who shouts, "Drop it," before firing a dozen shots from the semiautomatic rifle, killing Willis and wounding Wilder.

"We believe this officer could have waited a split second. We believe the evidence would show that he shot Willis in the buttocks, in the back," said Tim Cavanagh, Wilder's attorney. "He had a different story."

Des Plaines offered the nearly $2 million settlement just as jury selection was set to begin in a trial where Cavanagh would have had to convince jurors that it was more likely than not that Armstrong acted recklessly when he shot Wilder.

Although Des Plaines police officials have contested the Chicago Police Department's determination that Armstrong was the one who shot Wilder, Cavanagh said he would have called on expert witnesses to prove it.

Wilder, who prior to the shooting had been the youngest person to perform at Riot Fest, underwent 18 surgeries during two weeks at Lurie Children's Hospital.

After three hours a day of physical therapy for three years, the 19-year-old Columbia College student still has no feeling in his left arm or hand. According to his family, their HMO insurance plan refused to cover "most portions" of his required care.

"Rylan is an amazing, amazing young man who's persevered through this," Cavanagh said. "And he's ready to get on with his life."

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Wilder said he now has a lot less dexterity in his hand, leading him to have to made adaptations and figure out new ways to play.

"My playing is a lot different than it used to be, but I'm trying to make it work," Wilder told reporters. "I've also tried to expand into as many more instruments as I've been able to."

He is currently majoring in music technology and recently produced the new track, "Ribbon Graveyard" by Love Buggy.

"I know that there is a feeling of bitterness, but he has such a positive outlook on life, even when things are rough or when they're bad he tries to make the best of it, which I think is really inspiring," Lucia Morales, Wilder's mother, said at the news conference. "I'm so proud of him, because even though he's not able to play guitar the way he used to, he still continues to make music, he still continues to pick up those instruments."

Wilder said he hoped something could come out of his case to prevent another innocent bystander being shot by a police officer.

"It's pretty nice to have gotten this settlement and this ruling, I guess I would have liked to see a little bit more action on a larger scale though, to ensure this will never happen again to anybody else," he said.

Wilder suggested "better training for police, some regulations or laws or something, just to make everybody feel a little bit safer and make sure nobody else gets shot and has to go through the stuff that I did."

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx decided not to charge Armstrong with any criminal offense in connection with the shooting. In an August 2021 memo, the chief county prosecutor said the officer "acted reasonably" and used "justified force."

According to Foxx's memo, Wilder was not visible in footage Armstrong's body camera and video evidence supported Armstrong's claim that he did not see Wilder when he began firing at Willis.

Also Thursday, Wilder's attorneys sought an order of default judgment against Maurice Murphy, Willis' admitted getaway driver from their robbery of the Bank of America at 1300 E. Oakton St. in Des Plaines, and against Kimberly Perry, who administers Willis' estate.

According to their court filings, Willis and Murphy made off with about $15,500 in stolen cash from the bank. Murphy was arrested a short time later but Willis carjacked a car and led police on a high-speed chase for about 11 miles south on the Kennedy Expressway.

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After agreeing to the settlement payment, Des Plaines city officials issued a statement offering their sincere sympathies to the Wilder family and alleging Armstrong was in fear for his safety and those around him when he opened fire.

"Rylan Wilder, an innocent bystander, in his attempt to run away from Willis, unfortunately ran in front of Officer Armstrong as he was discharging his weapon at armed Willis. Wilder was struck in the arm and suffered serious injuries," city officials said in the statement.

The video shows Wilder is clearly Armstrong's line of fire before he begins firing.

"As a result of this event, a lawsuit was filed against both the City of Des Plaines and the officer involved in the shooting. After thoughtful consideration the City's insurance company made the determination to settle the case with the Wilder family," city officials said.

"In this settlement, the City of Des Plaines does not admit to any wrongdoing or liability. Additionally, Officer Armstrong was dismissed from the lawsuit and cleared of any wrongdoing," it continued. "This settlement does not reflect the heroic actions that Officer Armstrong took that day, putting his life at risk to save others. Officer Armstrong is still employed with the City of Des Plaines."

Cavanagh said representatives of the suburb had been making similar arguments in pretrial proceedings.

"It doesn't surprise me that that's their official position, that they would put out a press release claiming they haven't been at fault, but they paid $1.9 million to Rylan Wilder," he said. "That's the admission of fault."

Earlier:

• Des Plaines Cops Fatally Shoot Bank Robber, Wound Teen, Police Say
• 15-Year-Old's Condition Stabilized, Officer In Serious Condition
• Getaway Driver Charged In Robbery That Led To Fatal Shootout
• No Criminal Charges For Cop Who Shot Teen During Shootout