Quintonio LeGrier's mother holds vigil on 9th anniversary of fatal shooting by Chicago police
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Thursday marks nine years since Quintonio LeGrier was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer, and his mother and her church gathered to honor his life.
LeGrier's mother, Janet Cooksey, was on hand to release nine balloons – one for each year he's been gone.
Cooksey holds a vigil every year to honor her son.
"For nine years, I wondered how I was going to make it through another day. Each year seems to get harder. I was like, this is supposed to be easier, but with the love and support of Pacific Garden Mission, I can smile today, I can cry happy tears," she said.
On Dec. 26, 2015, LeGrier, 19, was shot and killed by Chicago Police Officer Robert Rialmo during a domestic disturbance call in the West Garfield Park neighborhood apartment building where he lived.
LeGrier, apparently suffering from mental health problems, came running down the stairs with a baseball bat when officers arrived at the building.
LeGrier had himself called 911 three times before police arrived.
Rialmo fired eight shots, six of them hitting LeGrier, who died. A bullet from Rialmo's gun also struck and killed 55-year-old Bettie Jones, LeGrier's downstairs neighbor, who was standing behind the teenager.
Rialmo was fired in October 2019, after the Chicago Police Board agreed with a Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigation that determined there was no evidence to support Rialmo's claim the shooting was necessary. The board determined Rialmo had an obligation to reposition himself before firing at LeGrier in order to protect innocent bystanders like Jones.
Rialmo filed a lawsuit against the city and the Chicago Police Board seeking to overturn that decision, but both a Cook County judge and the Illinois Appellate Court upheld his dismissal.
