Jury selected in civil trial tied to wrongful Chicago police raid of Gilbert Mendez family home in 2017
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — A family suing the city of Chicago over a wrongful police raid is finally getting their day in court.

They say officers violated their rights and traumatized their children.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Jury selection lasted all day Monday at the Dirksen Federal Building, after a last ditch effort to reach a pre-trial resolution between the Mendez family and the city’s attorneys failed.

A jury was seated at the end of the day Monday, and opening statements are set to begin Tuesday.

It was more than six and a half years ago when Gilbert Mendez and his attorney walked into a room filled with reporters to tell Mendez’s story publicly for the first time. Nine months earlier, in November of 2017, he, his wife and two young sons had been subjected to a wrong-house raid by seven 11th District Chicago police officers, who they claimed pointed guns at them and continued to detain them even after it became apparent they had the wrong address.

RELATED: Anjanette Young, victim of botched CPD raid, pushes for reform 6 years later

“Peter and Jack cried and pleaded officers not to shoot and kill their father. Officers also handcuffed their father, Gilbert Mendez, and kept him handcuffed in front of this sons for over 90 minutes,” lawyer Al Hofeld Jr. said.

It’s taken all this time for the civil lawsuit filed by the Mendez family against the city of Chicago and the seven officers involved to be brought before a jury. In the interim, the Civilian Office for Police Accountability, also known as COPA, determined the officers involved in the raid among other things: failed to adequately verify information provided by a police informant prior to acquiring and executing the search warrant and failed to properly knock and announce themselves before entering the Mendez home.

COPA, however, did not find the officers guilty of pointing firearms at the family or, as the lawsuit states, continuing to search the apartment after the mistake was realized.

They did recommend the officers face suspensions ranging from five to 60 days. Those recommendations were accepted by then-Police Superintendent David Brown nearly five years after the wrongful raid took place and three years after the Illinois General Assembly passed and Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Peter Mendez Act, named after Gilbert Mendez’s then-9-year-old son. The act requires officers to receive trauma-informed training as well as training on de-escalation tactics when children are involved in a police operation.

The trial is expected to last around two weeks.

Lawyers said they will show the jury police bodycam video, which they say shows what happened.

A spokesperson for the city’s law department declined to comment Monday, pending the resolution of the trial.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Barry Morphew to appear in court after grand jury indictment charging him with wife's murder

Barry Morphew Scheduled for Court Appearance Following Indictment by Grand Jury for Wife’s Murder

Barry Morphew is scheduled for a court appearance for his initial hearing…
Idaho firefighter shooter Wess Roley had 'Nazi tendencies,' ex classmates say

Former classmates claim Idaho firefighter shooter Wess Roley exhibited ‘Nazi tendencies’

Idaho firefighter murderer Wess Roley was known to have “Nazi tendencies” and…
Duval parents rally against DEI policy changes

Duval Parents Protest Alterations to DEI Policy

Parents and students rallied against changes to DEI policies and book bans…
Rob McElhenney shortens name to Rob Mac: 'Purely practical'

Rob McElhenney Shortens Name to Rob Mac for Practical Reasons

“The amount of time that I have wasted trying to get people…
Rear view of several USPS mail trucks parked in a row.

USPS Warns: Avoid Clicking as New Scam Tricks Thousands, Steals Personal Data and Empties Bank Accounts

THE United States Postal Service has given a stark warning about a…
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 1 of El Chapo's sons, intends to plead guilty in New York fed criminal case: I-Team documents

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo, plans to admit guilt in New York federal criminal case, according to I-Team reports.

CHICAGO (WLS) — New information acquired by the ABC 7 I-Team reveals…
Bryan Kohberger could escape death penalty because of leaked evidence aired during TV episode: fmr prosecutor

Bryan Kohberger anticipated to enter guilty plea: what happens next

Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho murders case, is anticipated to…
Wisconsin Supreme Court's liberal majority strikes down 176-year-old abortion ban

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Overturns 176-Year-Old Abortion Ban with Liberal Majority Vote

The liberal majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned a 176-year-old abortion…
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un shaking hands.

North Korea Proposes Sending 30,000 Additional Troops to Support Putin’s War After Kim Jong-un Mourns Fallen Soldiers

NORTH Korea is reportedly planning to send 30,000 more troops to fight alongside…
Jury in Diddy's sex trafficking trial to resume deliberations after reaching partial verdict

Jury to Continue Deliberations in Diddy’s Sex Trafficking Case After Partial Verdict

NEW YORK (AP) — The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking…
Florida teen threatens to shoot up McDonald's after $5 order is messed up: police

Florida Teenager Allegedly Threatens McDonald’s with Gun over Incorrect $5 Order: Police Report

A teenager in Florida is in custody after allegedly threatening to open…
Trump reveals his ‘first choice’ for open North Carolina Senate seat 

Trump Announces His ‘Top Pick’ for Vacant North Carolina Senate Seat

On Tuesday, President Trump expressed his preference for his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump,…