Entry #2 February 8th, 2016

Chicago Police Officer sues victim's family over shooting

BBC News, no author listed

Overview:

   Last December, 2014, a 19 year old Quintonio LeGrier was shot and killed by police officer Robert Rialmo who also ended up killing LeGrier's neighbour, Bettie Jones in the shooting. 

   Over a year later and Officer Rialmo is trying to sue LeGrier's family for $10 000 000 for causing him "severe emotional trauma."

   Rialmo was sent to Mr. LeGrier's residents responding to a domestic disturbance call. The police were called by Quintonio LeGrier himself. Rialmo claims that LeGrier "came charging down the stairs and swung a baseball bat at his head." Rialmo has also stated that he yelled at LeGrier to drop the bat but shot him once he swung repeatedly. He fired six shots which killed Quintonio LeGrier and his neighbour, Bettie Jones, who was watching the event.

   "The fact that LeGrier's actions had forced Officer Rialmo to end LeGrier's life and to accidentally take the innocent life of Bettie Jones has caused, and will continue to cause, Officer Rialmo to suffer extreme emotional trauma, the lawsuit says." 

   LeGrier's lawyers have stated that Mr. Rialmo was at least 20 ft. away from Quintonio when he fired the six shots. The lawyers also asked why LeGrier would attempt to attack the officer when he was the one who called the police in the first place.

Friends and family held pictures of the victim, Quintonio LeGrier, at a vigil in Chicago

Opinion

   This traumatic event is another example of how white police officers act against black civilians. This isn't the first time something like this has happened recently. There has been over 20 other cases of civil right violations in the U.S. in the last few years. 

   If this student had happened to be white then would he have lived that day. Police officers are not the only examples of people being prejudicial.

   People all over the world have to realize when they are being discriminatory. Someone so stubborn like Officer Rialmo might not even realized he acted over stereotypes. I don't think that anyone would want to have to deal with a handful of lawsuits so the faster that everyone can accept another human over the colour of their skin, then lives like Quintonio LeGrier will not be mistreated.