Chicago cop faces firing over vehicle pursuit that led to death of innocent motorist

A Chicago police officer found to be driving “without due regard for the safety of others” could now be fired over a crash that killed a man in the Homan Square neighborhood in June 2023.

Officer Michael Spilotro III and his partner Erik Arroyo were on patrol in the 11th District when they responded to a call of a silver Hyundai speeding through alleys. Investigators with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) found the two cops failed to notify the Office of Emergency Management (OEMC) of their pursuit, activate their body-worn cameras (BWC), or activate vehicle lights and sirens as they sped through Friday rush hour traffic on Roosevelt Road. Spilotro was behind the wheel. 

“His actions posed a substantial risk to the safety of others, as demonstrated by the fatal multi-vehicle collision that ended the pursuit,” wrote COPA in their final summary report, obtained through a public records request. 

In September 2024, Chicago Police Superintendent Snelling agreed with their findings and disciplinary recommendations. 

Investigators found Officer Spilotro, without lights or sirens, “ran four stop signs and one red light, reached speeds of up to 61 mph (in a 30 mph zone), crossed the double yellow lines into the opposite direction of travel three times, and cut off traffic when he turned right onto Roosevelt Rd. from the left turn lane on Homan Ave.”

A video reel of the immediate scene post-crash was posted to the @mylifeinthechi Instagram account. The silver Hyundai collided with oncoming traffic and hit four other vehicles. 

25-year-old Angel Eduardo Alvarez Montesinos was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital shortly after. 

Another driver involved in the fatal crash was also treated for minor injuries. 

“Here, the officers’ decision to pursue the Hyundai did not merely violate CPD policy; it set in motion a chain of events that ended when the Hyundai caused a multi-vehicle collision, killing an innocent motorist,” wrote investigators. “In addition, the officers’ failure to activate their vehicle’s lights and/or siren deprived other motorists of notice of the pursuit and increased the risk involved in an already dangerous situation. The officers compounded this problem by failing to notify OEMC, creating confusion and a delay in reporting the facts of the pursuit.”

An initial 911 call reporting multiple armed occupants inside the Hyundai also turned out to be incorrect. 

The driver, identified only as an unarmed 15-year-old boy, was arrested at the scene. According to COPA’s report, he was charged with reckless homicide and possession of a stolen vehicle. 

Because state law protects the privacy of minor suspects, we are unable to confirm the status of court proceedings in that case at this time. 

Venezuela-based news site Carora TV initially identified Angel Montesinos following the incident. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his identity. 

Reportedly, Montesinos had recently arrived in the U.S. from Carora, Venezuela, a town of 250,000 people. He came to Chicago “like many Venezuelans in search of a better future,” Carora TV wrote.

Spilotro has been relieved of his police powers, but is collecting a paycheck on assignment in the Alternate Response Section.  Whether he next faces a disciplinary hearing at the hands of the Chicago Police Board or chooses arbitration to decide the fate of his employment with CPD depends on the outcome of an ongoing legal battle over the new FOP contract.

In the time between the crash and the conclusion of the investigation into the incident, Spilotro reportedly caused at least one other preventable accident on duty. 

COPA noted his “pattern of reckless driving while on duty,” adding it was also “highly concerning that Officer Spilotro had a history of two preventable accidents before this incident.”

Officer Arroyo had been an officer for only one year at the time of the crash. He was issued a 30-day suspension for his involvement. He will also undergo retraining on CPD’s vehicle pursuit and BWC policies.