Chicago Police Department In The Soup After Officer ‘Accidentally’ Kills 55-Year-Old Woman And Emotionally Disturbed Teen
The Chicago Police Department found itself mired in controversy once again after one of its officers fatally shot a mother of five and an emotionally troubled teen while responding to a “domestic disturbance” call at a home on Chicago’s West Side, according to latest reports emerging in the media.
Bettie Jones, 55, was “accidentally struck and tragically killed” during the encounter, while 19-year-old college student Quintonio LeGrier, described as a “combative subject” by the Chicago Police Department in the aftermath of the tragedy, also fell victim to the officer’s gunfire. Jones and LeGrier, both black, were pronounced dead at hospitals within an hour of being shot, according to The Associated Press.
The shooting of the two individuals by Chicago police comes on the heels of the ongoing protests against the department’s actions that saw 17-year-old black teenager Laquan McDonald killed by the white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, who has since pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge. The case resulted in Garry McCarthy losing his job as Chicago’s police superintendent while propelling calls for the resignation of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The calls to oust Emanuel may gain even more momentum if another Chicago police officer is held responsible for the death of two black individuals.
The killing and the consequent protests prompted an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, which seeks to find out whether the Chicago Police Department’s practices contribute to civil rights violations, reports The Washington Post.
According to a statement released by the Chicago Police Department, the killing of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier happened when “officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer’s weapon which fatally wounded two individuals.”
It all started when LeGrier threatened his father with an aluminum bat. The father called the police and asked his downstairs neighbor, Jones, to open the door when the police arrived, reports CNN affiliate WLS. The teenager was still rushing downstairs with the bat in his hand as the police officers entered the house, prompting one officer to open fire, resulting in the deaths of the two individuals, the police further said.
However, relatives and friends of the two victims gathered on Sunday to criticize the police force and officials for unnecessarily escalating what they consider was a “controllable situation.”
Jones’ friend Jacqueline Walker raised what many consider to be a pertinent question at a news conference outside the home where the first shooting happened.
“Why do you have to shoot first and ask questions later?”
CPD says fatal shooting of 55-yr-old Bettie Jones was an accident, offers condolences. https://t.co/8eumNRLqQg pic.twitter.com/n1gh2U9vtx
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) December 27, 2015
Janet Cooksey, LeGrier’s mother, echoed Walker’s sentiments, criticizing the police for its excessive use of force and lack of an alternative plan when responding to calls.
“He wasn’t just a thug on the street, he was an honor student in college and high school,” she told WBBM-TV. “Seven bullets were put in my son. Seven. Eight shots were fired. One hit an innocent lady who was just opening her door. Something is wrong with this picture. I used to watch the news daily and I would grieve for other mothers, other family members, and now today I’m grieving myself.”
Cheryl Dorsey, a retired Los Angeles police sergeant, asked why the Chicago police officers did not deploy tasers when LeGrier was unarmed.
“Where was the Taser? Why didn’t they deploy a Taser? If they didn’t have one on scene, they should have had one with an officer who was responding as backup. What was the urgency? There was no exigent circumstance that the officers could not have waited until a Taser arrived on scene.”
"CPD has failed us over and over," said the mother of Quintonio LeGrier, 19, who was killed by Chicago police. pic.twitter.com/2E2cQ3ZHzn
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 27, 2015
The calls for immediate action against the perceived methods of the Chicago Police Department are expected to escalate in light of the recent events, with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Sunday night ordering changes in how city police officers are trained to handle calls involving people who may have mental health problems, reports CNN.
“There are serious questions about yesterday’s shootings that must be answered in full by the Independent Police Review Authority’s investigation. While their investigation is underway, we must also make real changes within our police department today and it is clear changes are needed to how officers respond to mental health crises.”
It remains to be seen if the changes Rahm Emanuel is talking about are placed into effect anytime soon, but the deaths of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier are certain to bring more trouble to the already beleaguered Chicago Police Department.
[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]
