Antonio LeGrier: 'He was Still Alive and Moving and No One Assisted Him'

The father of Quintonio LeGrier, the 19-year-old who was fatally shot alongside his 55-year-old neighbor by Chicago police last week, filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that the officer shot his son without justification.

According to CNN, Antonio LeGrier filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on Monday. In addition to claiming that the shooting was without justification, LeGrier also alleges that officers “used excessive force and failed to provide medical care as he lay bleeding on the floor.”

LeGrier is seeking $100,000 in damages.

According to CNN, early Saturday morning Quintonio LeGrier began behaving erratically and was reportedly threatening his father with a bat. The elder LeGrier reportedly called police and then called his downstairs neighbor Bettie Jones to open the door for the officers once they arrived. Police claim that when they arrived Quintonio LeGrier began charging at them wielding an aluminum bat. Police open fire fatally shooting both Quintonio LeGrier and Jones. Shortly after the shooting, police officials would acknowledge that shooting Jones, a mother of five, was an accident.

On Tuesday, LeGrier broke down during a segment with CNN as he attempted to recount what happened the night his son was shot.

“I heard a noise, which was a voice saying ‘woo, woo, woo,’ I can’t accurately remember but it was along those lines,” he said. “I proceeded down the staircase and as I got a quarter of the way down the stairs I heard gunshots. I stopped at that point and time because I didn’t know where those shots were coming from.”

He continued: “After that I proceeded down the stairs displaying my hands, indicating that…I’m sorry Ms. Brooks,” LeGrier says apologizing to the CNN host for being unable to continue. LeGrier begins crying and explains that once outside he saw his son lying in the grass.

“I wanted to reach down and grab him but I wasn’t trained in CPR so I didn’t know what to do,” He said. “He was lying there and he was still alive and moving and no one assisted him.”

“I looked back and saw Ms. Jones lying there. At that point I yelled, scream as loud as I could someone get an ambulance to help my son,” he said. “That was all I could think to say.”

Chicago Mayor’s office also announced Monday that Rahm Emanuel would be cutting his Cuba vacation short to return to the city where several protesters including Rev. Al Sharpton have called for his resignation. Emanuel is expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon.

“He is cutting his family trip short so that he can continue the ongoing work of restoring accountability and trust in the Chicago Police Department,” Stephen Spector, a spokesman for Emanuel’s office said in an email sent to CNN.

CNN notes that Emanuel has been under fire for a series of fatal police shootings.

On Sunday night, a day after the fatal shootings, Emanuel called for new police policy and training when handling calls and interactions with people who may be suffering from mental health problems. LeGrier’s mother, Janet Cooksey, told ABC 7 Chicago that her son suffered from mental illness but added that he was not violent.

Read more at CNN and ABC 7 Chicago.

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