Police accidentally shoot, kill woman
Chicago police shot two people to death, including a 55-year-old woman they said was “accidentally struck and tragically killed.”
The woman, Bettie Jones, and Quintonio LeGrier, 19, were both killed after police responded to a domestic disturbance call .
“Upon arrival, officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer’s weapon which fatally wounded two individuals,” Chicago police said in a statement.
“The 55 year old female victim was accidentally struck and tragically killed. The department extends it’s deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”
The officer will be on administrative duty for 30 days while an independent police review authority investigates, Chicago police said.
Police did not say what, if anything, Jones and LeGrier had to do with the reported disturbance.
But LeGrier’s family said the Northern Illinois University student suffered from a mental illness and threatened his father with an aluminum bat, CNN affiliate WLS reported.
The teen’s father called police and then called his downstairs neighbor, Jones, to open the door when officers arrived, WLS said.
When police came, LeGrier was charging down the stairs still carrying the bat, the affiliate reported. Police opened fire, and both LeGrier and Jones were shot.
“An innocent lady got shot as well because the police were trigger happy,” LeGrier’s mother, Janet Cooksey, told WLS. “I went to the hospital. My son has seven bullet holes in him.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is on vacation in Cuba, WLS said, but his office released a statement after the shooting.
“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,” the statement read.
“All evidence will be shared with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for additional review in the days ahead.”
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