The Cop Who Fatally Shot Quintonio LeGrier Is Suing His Estate

By Mae Rice in News on Jan 28, 2016 5:51PM

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 27: Family, friends and supporters gather outside the home of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier during a vigil.(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The officer who shot and killed Quintonio LeGrier and Bettie Jones in late December—Jones, at least, "accidentally"—is now suing LeGrier’s estate.

Officer Robert Rialmo’s attorney, Joel Brodsky, claims LeGrier attacked the officer, and will be filing a civil suit against LeGrier’s estate for assault and for causing “emotional distress,” according to reports from CBS and WGN.

LeGrier’s family attorney, Bill Foutris, “calls the move a desperate and baseless attempt to deflect attention from the fact Rialmo shot LeGrier four times in the back without justification,” CBS reports.

LeGrier’s father, Antonio LeGrier, filed a wrongful death suit against the city days after the shooting. In the suit, Legrier alleged that police shot his 19-year-old son even though Quintonio had broken no laws and was not armed; he also alleged that police made no move to help his dying son.

Many questions remain around the case, which many see as evidence of police mistreatment of mentally ill constituents. (It's already spurred a mental health policy revamp within the CPD.) Chief among the remaining questions is why Quintonio’s calls to 911 on the night of the shooting were handled the way they were—he called repeatedly, and was repeatedly hung up on when he wouldn’t give his name.