Mother of Five, 19-Year-old College Student Shot and Killed by Chicago Police, Families Demanding Answers
The family of a 55-year-old mother of five shot and killed by Chicago police in a deadly accident at her home is demanding answers from the already beleaguered department.
The Chicago Tribune reports Bettie Jones was just one of two victims gunned down by officers during the early Saturday morning mayhem that occurred when police were responding to a domestic abuse call in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.
Also killed was 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, an engineering student at Northern Illinois University, who reportedly suffered seven gunshot wounds.
The shootings were the first fatal shots fired by members of the CPD since the department came under heavy criticism last month following the public release of a video showing officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in 2014 as he walked away from officers who had completely surrounded him.
Van Dyke has since been indicted on first-degree murder charges and the entire department is now under intensified scrutiny, including an ongoing federal probe launched by the U.S. Justice Department. In addition, former Superintendent Garry McCarthy was relieved of his duties and protestors are brazenly calling for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emmanuel.
In the latest deadly episode, police claim they were called to the home just before 5 a.m. and encountered a "combative" LeGrier wielding a baseball bat and threatening his father.
Antonio LeGrier later admitted his son suffered from "emotional issues," but added he believes the officer involved was reckless.
"I don't feel that his life was worth losing because he got upset," he said.
Janet Cooksey, 49, added of her son, "My son was going somewhere. He wasn't just a thug on the street."
Sources said Jones lived downstairs from Antonio LeGrier and he had simply called her to open the door when officers arrived.
"An innocent lady got shot as well because the police were trigger happy," said Cooksey. "I went to the hospital. My son has seven bullet holes in him."
The Fraternal Order of Police, the union that represents Chicago officers, has not commented on the incident. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Mayor Emmanuel indicated he was in Cuba on a family vacation but was in touch with aides in Chicago.
Late Saturday, Emmanuel issued a statement saying, "Anytime an officer uses force the public deserves answers, and regardless of the circumstances we all grieve anytime there is a loss of life in our city."
The officer involved has not been identified and reportedly has been placed on administrative duty.
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