The family of a man who was fatally stabbed while sleeping aboard a CTA Blue Line train has filed a lawsuit against the CTA and two of its security contractors, alleging they failed to provide adequate protection for riders during overnight hours despite prior warnings about safety concerns on the system.
The lawsuit stems from the Jan. 10 death of Dominique Pollion, 37, who was stabbed while sleeping on a Blue Line train near the Clark/Lake station shortly after 2 a.m.
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Speaking publicly for the first time, Pollion’s grandmother, the Rev. Shirley Pollion-Hines, described the loss of her grandson.
“I will not see my grandson again, not in this life,” Pollion-Hines said.
The man accused of killing Pollion was arrested the following day and charged with first-degree murder.
Demetrius Thurman was charged in the murder, and police say he recorded it all on his phone.
Not only was footage of the deadly stabbing found on the phone, but prosecutors say, “as well as pictures of other sleeping passengers on the train.”
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Pollion’s family, however, contends that the CTA also bears responsibility for the circumstances that led to his death.
“They did not ever take the most basic steps to have meaningful security on the system. This is something that has been well-documented in this city for years,” said Michael Cerasa, an attorney with Romanucci & Blandin, which is representing the family.
Attorneys for the family pointed to other high-profile crimes on the Blue Line in the weeks and months before Pollion’s death, including an incident in November in which a woman was set on fire. That incident prompted the federal government to warn the CTA that funding could be withheld if the agency did not improve its security plan.
A CTA spokesperson said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
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“It is clear that there is a systemic failure within CTA,” Cerasa said.
In addition to the CTA, the lawsuit names Monterrey Security and Action K9, two private security contractors employed by the transit agency at the time of the killing. The lawsuit alleges the companies failed to detect the threat and respond adequately afterward.
A spokesperson for Monterrey Security said its personnel were not assigned to the Blue Line on the night of the stabbing. Action K9 had not responded for comment.
Since Pollion’s death, the CTA has ended its contract with Monterrey Security and has significantly increased the number of police officers assigned to transit duty.
