Families and community leaders respond to COPA’s recent findings in the fatal shootings of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier.
CHICAGO (CBS) — The family of a woman fatally shot by a Chicago Police officer is asking prosecutors to re-open the case.
“To live without our mother — she meant everything to us. And now she’s gone. She’s gone,” said Latonya Jones, one of the victim’s daughters.
In 2015,55-year-old Bettie Jones opened her apartment building door for officers responding to a neighbor’s domestic disturbance. One of the officers, Robert Rialmo, fired at 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who had a bat.
LeGrier was killed; Jones was fatally shot by accident.
“She got her life taken away for helping,” Latonya said.
Early this year, prosecutors elected not to criminally charge Rialmo. However, in late December, the city of Chicago’s new police oversight agency, known as COPA, found Rialmo was not justified in firing his weapon.
“State’s Attorney Kim Foxx needs to reexamine the findings that they had in this case — where they simply exonerated the officer,” said Rev. Marshall Hatch with New Mount Pilgrim Church. “She needs to reopen this case; he needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Speaking from the church Sunday where both Jones and LeGrier’s funeral services were held, family members and activists asked not only for additional legal scrutiny, but also for Rialmo’s badge and gun to be taken away.
“If he has access to a gun and a badge, he is a clear and present danger to the public,” Rev. Hatch said.
Rialmo is currently on desk duty.
Rialmo’s attorney says his client was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, adding the COPA report doesn’t bring any new facts to light and, thus, a reexamination of the case isn’t warranted by the State’s Attorney’s Office.
CBS 2 reached out to the State’s Attorney’s Office and COPA for additional comment; neither have returned our messages.
