Quintonio LeGrier called 911 multiple times before fatal shooting
Recently released audio tapes of 911 calls show that 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier called 911 to ask police to help him 3 times before he was shot by police in an incident that also left his neighbor, Bettie Jones, fatally injured.
Although LeGrier’s father later called 911 and claimed that his son was threatening him, the new audio reveals that it was LeGrier who first dialed 911 and asked for help, saying that his life was the one being threatened.
“I need an officer at 4710 West Erie Street,” he says in the audio tapes. When the dispatcher asks him why, he says, “I just need an officer over here, OK?”
“No, it don’t work like that,” the dispatcher says. “What’s your emergency?”
Eventually, LeGrier says, “Someone’s threatening my life.”
The call is terminated, and LeGrier calls back two more times. At time, his comments are inaudible, and the dispatcher seems frustrated.
“Are you going to send the police or not?” LeGrier asks
“Are you going to answer my question?” the dispatcher replies. “I’m talking to you. If you can’t answer the questions, how do you expect me to assist you?”
A minute after LeGrier’s third call ends, his father calls 911 to report: “My son’s attempting to break inside my bedroom door. He’s got a baseball bat in his hand.”
When police officers arrived, LeGrier was shot in an incident that is still being investigated.
“Every single employee of the City of Chicago Quintonio encountered reacted improperly,” attorney Basileios Foutris said. “Either by hanging up on him, or shooting him in the back.”
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