Officer sued in 2003 fatal shooting found dead

A Chicago police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man on a CTA train platform in 2003 was found dead Thursday at his West Side home in what authorities said appeared to be a suicide.

Alvin Weems, 51, was found dead at his home in the 4900 block of West Crystal Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The office, citing preliminary details, said Weems shot and killed himself. But an official cause of death won’t be determined until an autopsy is performed Friday.

Chicago police would not confirm the officer’s identity but said he was off duty when he died. They are investigating the case.

“We have lost one of our members. This is a grieving time for the family, and the Fraternal Order of Police offers its deepest sympathies,” FOP President Michael Shields said.

In March 2003, Michael Pleasance, 23, of Justice, was shot in the head on the 95th Street CTA Red Line station.

At the time, police officials said Pleasance struggled with Weems and tried to take away his gun. But a year and a half later, the judge in the Pleasance family’s civil lawsuit ordered the release of the CTA security camera video.

Police officials then revised their account and said Pleasance was approaching Weems, as if to attack him. But the video showed no contact was made before Weems opened fire.

In a December 2006 deposition, Weems admitted he did not fear for his life when he shot Pleasance and did not believe the shooting was justified. But Weems said the shooting wasn’t intentional.

A jury awarded Pleasance’s family $12.5 million in December 2007, but an appellate court overturned that award in 2009. In March, the City Council’s Finance Committee recommended that $3 million be paid to Pleasance’s family. Shortly thereafter, that money was granted to them, court records show.

Michael Pleasance’s brother, Maurice Pleasance, was shocked when he found out about Weems’ death.
“I really don’t know what to say with that. It’s a sad situation. Wow. But who knows what the reasoning was?” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m shocked by it. But situations happen. … It may have had nothing to do with my brother’s death.”