$16M Deal Reached In Fatal Shooting Of Grandma By Chicago Cop

CHICAGO, IL — A tentative $16 million settlement between the City of Chicago and the family of a woman who was accidentally killed by a Chicago police officer who opened fire on a teen wielding a baseball bat. Bettie Jones, 55, and Quintonio LeGrier, 19, were fatally shot by Ofc. Robert Rialmo during an incident Dec. 26, 2015.

The City Council still needs to approve the proposed settlement with Jones' family, according to the Chicago Tribune. If that happens, the payout would be among the biggest by the city concerning a police-involved shooting, the report added.

City officials would not comment about the tentative settlement ahead of its official approval, and lawyers representing Jones' family could not be reached, the report stated. Joel Brodsky, Rialmo's lawyer, told the Tribune had "no problem" with the settlement.

Last year, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office decided not to file criminal charges against Rialmo following an investigation by the Independent Police Review Authority, the Illinois State Police and the FBI. Prosecutors cited "insufficient evidence" to prove the officer didn't act in self-defense in the shooting as the reason not to press charges.

More Patch Coverage:

• Grandmother 'Tragically Killed' in Accidental Police Shooting: Chicago PD
• Grief, Disbelief and Anger as 2 Families Deal With Accidental Police Shooting
• Chicago Cop Sues Estate of Teen He Shot 6 Times, Asks for $10 Million
• No Criminal Charges For Chicago Cop Who Shot Quintonio LeGrier, Bettie Jones
• Off-Duty Bar Fight Video Released Of Cop Who Shot LeGrier, Jones
  
• Mom Of Teen Shot By Chicago Cop Asked About Prostitution: Lawyer

In the incident, Rialmo shot and killed LeGrier, an engineering student at Northern Illinois University, at a West Garfield Park home after responding to a 911 call that the teen had been threatening his father. The officer claimed he fired at LeGrier because the teen was swinging a metal bat at him

The shots also struck Jones, who had opened the door for Rialmo. The grandmother and mother of five had been standing behind LeGrier when the Rialmo opened fire.

At the time, prosecutors emphasized that the the investigation review of the shooting was only to determine if Rialmo's action was illegal and did not if the officer violated police department protocols. In December of last year, Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability called the shooting unjustified and asked that Rialmo, who was placed on desk duty following the incident, be fired.

Besides the civil lawsuit filed by Jones' family that led to a tentative settlement, the city still faces a wrongful death lawsuit by LeGrier's family, and that trial is set to begin this week. But in this civil action, Rialmo has filed a $10 million counterclaim against LeGrier's estate, arguing that the teen was responsible for the incident and that it caused the officer physical and emotional trauma.

In a separate case, Rialmo also is being investigated for his role in a bar fight while he was off-duty. He is accused of punching two men during an December 2017 incident at Moretti's Ristorante & Pizzeria on the Far Northwest Side and has been charged with two counts of battery and a count of theft stemming from the incident.

More via the Chicago Tribune

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