Chicago families speak out about fatal officer-involved shooting

Family and friends gather to speak out about a fatal officer-involved shooting in Chicago
(Image credit: Purvi Thacker/BuzzFeed News via Twitter)

The mother of Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old black man fatally shot by Chicago police on Saturday, spoke at a news conference where community members called on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to make policing changes or step down.

"I used to watch the news and I would grieve for other mothers, other family members," Janet Cooksey said Sunday. "Today I'm grieving myself."

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In responding to the domestic disturbance call, a police officer also "accidentally struck" and fatally shot Bettie Jones, a 55-year-old black woman, the department said. Jahmal Cole, her nephew, said at the conference that she loved music and church.

Cole also called for more communication between police officers and nonprofit organizations in the city, which has also recently come under fire for the 2014 fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald.

"Chicago is only as strong as its most under-resourced community," Cole said.

Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.