Man gets $30,000 from Dolton after car seizure
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Ken Katkin's 2010 Camry at a gas station. The car was taken from a spot in Hyde Park in 2023, leading to a three-year ordeal. Photo: Courtesy of Ken Katkin
Last month, law professor Ken Katkin bought a round of drinks at a Cincinnati bar with part of a $30,000 settlement he reached with the village of Dolton following a three-year legal battle.
Why it matters: Dolton officials paid the money to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Katkin, alleging that Dolton police Detective Major Coleman unlawfully seized his car in 2023, delayed its return for weeks and demanded an illegal payment.
- The village of Dolton denied wrongdoing in the settlement agreement, which includes a standard no-admissions clause.
Catch up quick: Katkin reported his 2010 Toyota Camry stolen on Jan. 13, 2023, from a spot near his son's apartment in Hyde Park, where he attends UChicago grad school.
- *The car was parked right in front of Barack and Michelle Obama's first marital home on 54th," Cincinnati resident Katkin tells Axios.
- After trying to file a police report in Chicago, he learned the car had been taken by Coleman, who claimed it had been used in a robbery, but [Coleman] "knew it was a lie. He himself had already seized that car," Katkin wrote on Facebook.
- He eventually got the car back after paying $1,400 to a tow company.
After the ordeal, Katkin worked with Chicago civil rights attorney Jared Kosoglad to sue the village and Coleman, alleging a "widespread pattern" of unjustified car seizures.
- Coleman had previously faced discipline at other law enforcement agencies, including suspension from the Cook County Sheriff's Office and termination from the South Holland Police Department, according to prior reporting.
The settlement: Katkin says the case moved toward resolution after Coleman and a supervising officer failed to appear for scheduled depositions. The parties later agreed to a $30,000 settlement, paid in December.
- "They wouldn't apologize, which I wanted, and I wouldn't sign a confidentiality agreement, which they wanted," Katkin said.
What they're saying: In response to questions about the case and Coleman's employment, a village representative confirmed he remains on the police force while the matter is investigated.
- "The incident referenced occurred in January 2023 under a prior administration… At the time of the incident, [Coleman] was employed by the Dolton Police Department and remains employed today," village spokesperson Nakita Nicci Cloud tells Axios.
- "This matter is currently being reviewed through the appropriate investigative processes. As such, the Village is unable to comment further."
- Axios reached out to Coleman and his commander for comment but got no response.
The upshot: Katkin thinks he would've won if the case had it gone to trial, but says the settlement at least covered expenses and let him buy drinks at the bar when his UChicago student son was home playing a reunion gig with his high school band.
- Due to car trouble, he said, his son ended up driving back to Chicago from Cincinnati in the 2010 Camry.