Chicago cop sues family of teen he shot and killed
CBC Radio | Posted: February 12, 2016 10:28 PM | Last Updated: February 12, 2016
Chicago police officer Robert Rialmo has launched a lawsuit against the estate of Quintonio LeGrier, a man he shot and killed last December.
The countersuit is in response to the wrongful death suit filed by the family of LeGrier against Rialmo and the Chicago Police Department.
The officer cites the "extreme emotional trauma" he has experienced in the days following the shooting.
"They just couldn't believe someone would have the temerity to kill Quintonio and sue the estate for the very thing that lead to his death," says Bill Fourtis, a lawyer for the LeGrier family. "They just didn't know how to respond."
Neighbours Quintonio LeGrier, 19, and Bettie Jones, 55, were shot and killed by police inside their apartment building in December. Jones was accidentally shot when a bullet passed through LeGrier's body and struck her while she was standing in a doorway.
LeGrier's father, Antonio LeGrier, had reported that his son seemed agitated before the events that led to his son being fatally shot. The elder LeGrier said it was he who had called police on his son.
The Cook County medical examiner's office said both were pronounced dead at hospitals within an hour. Family members say Jones, a mother of five, was hosting relatives for Christmas. LeGrier, a college student, was also home for the holidays.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation was started to determine if there should be criminal charges filed against Rialmo.
The officer's lawsuit says LeGrier was in close proximity when he was holding a metal bat. He says the teen swung at him. Rialmo fired his gun 18 times hitting LeGrier multiple times.
Fourtis challenges the officer's claim, saying LeGrier was between 15-20 feet away from Rialmo. He says the bat did not pose a deadly threat.
"I think this [countersuit] is an attempt to deflect from his actions and try to stop a potential criminal charge against him," says Fourtis.
The Chicago Police Department is also facing a federal civil rights investigation.
Fourtis says he's concerned the countersuit by Rialmo against the estate of LeGrier will only sour the relationship further between the police department and the citizens of Chicago.
"When you go to the courts to seek justice … and you're met with a countersuit alleging you've done wrong, that doesn't foster any good feelings. It certainly is not going to help any part of the Chicago community to trust the police more."
With files from CBC news