Quintonio LeGrier, Bettie Jones: Chicago Police Officer Kills Two In ‘Accidental’ Shooting

Antonio LeGrier, the father of Quintonio LeGrier, was said to have stated that the Chicago police officer who fired the shots that killed his son, along with 55-year-old Bettie Jones, a mother of five, on Saturday, knew that he had “messed up,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Bettie Jones, Quentin LeGrier Chicago police shootings were described as occurring “accidentally” in a statement made by the department, according to Patch. The shootings come after continued protests calling for the resignation of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel over his handling of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke’s shooting of Laquan McDonald over one year ago, as reported by the Inquisitr.

“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,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. He stated that the Independent Police Review Authority will be conducting an investigation into each of the shootings, and that findings will be shared with the state attorney’s office.

“F***, no, no, no. I thought he was lunging at me with the bat,” Antonio LeGrier was quoted, remembering the words of the police officer in the moments after he shot his son.

LeGrier described the officers as acting “recklessly” and “shooting blindly” into a doorway and that he felt that the officer who fired the fatal shots was aware that he had made a poor decision.

Quintonio LeGrier was enrolled in his first year of an electrical engineering technology program at Northern Illinois University after graduating from Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, reportedly with a GPA “above 3.0.” He was said to have developed “emotional problems” and to have been prescribed medication over the Thanksgiving weekend at the Weiss Memorial Hospital. His father described him as a “whiz kid.” LeGrier was said to have been visiting his father for the Christmas holidays.

Betty Turner, Quentonio LeGrier’s great-aunt, stated that she had been praying with her nephew because he hadn’t been “acting like himself,” as reported by the Inquisitr.

Family says 57 yo Bettie Jones & 19 yo Quintonio LeGrier both killed in police shooting. #CPD expected to speak pic.twitter.com/L0LiGgGd5F

— Jeremy Ross (@JeremyAdamRoss) December 26, 2015

Bettie Jones told Antonia LeGrier that she had seen his son outside with a baseball bat after he warned her not to open the door until the police arrived because his son was “a little irate.” Quintonio was said to have attempted to break down his father’s bedroom door earlier in the evening, prompting the call to police.

Quintonio was reported to have lived with foster parents since the age of four. He was also said to have been taken to his father’s house by his mother for the Christmas holiday.

“When is this going to stop?” Janet Cooksey, Quintonio LeGrier’s mother, was quoted. “My son wasn’t a thug on the street or a violent person.”

Bettie Jones was said to have been “shot in the neck” shortly after she opened the door for the police. Jones was reported to have been a native of Mississippi and to have had six brothers and sisters. Her brother Melvin described her as a “sweet soul.” She was said to have been employed working on a production line for Alpha Baking.

“I want my cousin’s death avenged,” Jones’ cousin Evelyn Glover-Jennings was quoted. It has been noted that it is possible that video footage of the shootings exists and that there were several security cameras located in the neighborhood.

Bettie Jones’ daughter Latisha was said to have been awakened by gunshots. When she investigated, she found her mother lying in the doorway, unresponsive, with a bullet hole in her neck, bleeding profusely. Jones said she had to keep checking for her mother’s pulse, but that her mother was breathing and still alive when she found her.

According to officials with the Chicago Police Department, Quintonio’s LeGrier’s autopsy results will be needed before they can determine how many times the university student was shot by one of its officers.

[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]