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City Council Approves $280,000 Settlement For Activist Miracle Boyd Who Was Struck By Police Officer


Chicago's City Council approved a $280,000 settlement for activist Miracle Boyd, who sued after a police officer struck her during a 2020 protest. Boyd, then 18, was filming officers at the Decolonize Zhigaagoong rally when officer Nicholas Jovanovich knocked her phone into her face, causing dental and facial injuries.


"There's no secret what happened that day — a racist police officer approached me, punched me, knocked my tooth out," Boyd said before the vote.


The Civilian Office of Police Accountability found Jovanovich used excessive force and filed a false report. The agency recommended his firing, which the police board upheld despite opposition from then-Supt. David Brown. Jovanovich resigned in 2022 before disciplinary proceedings began, allowing him to "escape accountability," Boyd said.


Officer Andres Valle was accused of failing to report the excessive force, leading to a recommended 60-day suspension. Two supervisors were also recommended for termination for approving misleading reports.


Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) criticized the system's failure, comparing Boyd's case to the 2012 police killing of Rekia Boyd. "The difference between Miracle and Rekia is, Miracle — we get to see her," Taylor said.


However, Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th) opposed the settlement, calling Boyd a "phony" and claiming she provoked officers despite investigative findings that she posed no threat.

Boyd, now 23, continues her activism with GoodKids MadCity, advocating for a "Peacebook" ordinance to shift police funds toward youth violence prevention. She has also criticized Mayor Brandon Johnson's handling of public safety.


Chicagoans will pay over $3 million for police-related settlements this week, including:

  1. $1.5 million for Ezell Ricky Island's estate, after he was killed in a police-related crash.

  2. $1 million for Kevin Jones and the estate of Mignonne Robinson, also killed in a police-related crash.

  3. $400,000 to Eyraechel Meiang, a pedestrian hit by an officer who ran a red light.

"I asked for a peace circle with this officer, and he did not decide to do that with me," Boyd said. "In the city of Chicago, they know that police officers can escape accountability."


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