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Cop who killed college student and 55-year-old mother sues for 'extreme emotional trauma'
WaPo ^ | 02-07-2016 | Peter Holley

Posted on 02/07/2016 11:09:36 AM PST by NRx

A Chicago police officer who fatally shot a college student and his 55-year-old neighbor has filed a lawsuit against the teenager’s estate that blames the mentally ill 19-year-old for causing the officer “extreme emotional trauma.”

Officer Robert Rialmo’s lawsuit was filed Friday and offers the first public account of the moments before Rialmo shot and killed Quintonio LeGrier on Dec. 26. The suit claims that Rialmo, who was arriving at the scene of a domestic disturbance with another officer, opened fire after the teenager twice swung a bat at the officer’s head and then raised the weapon a third time, leading Rialmo to fear that his life was in danger, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The round that killed LeGrier also killed 55-year-old Bettie Jones, a downstairs neighbor and mother of five who was standing near LeGrier and was not part of the disturbance that had drawn police to the residence. In an apologetic statement the next day, police confirmed that her death was accidental.

Rialmo is seeking $10 million in damages, according to the Associated Press.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: bettiejones; chicago; lawsuit; leo; quintoniolegrier; rialmo; robertrialmo
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To: Lurker

If one of my rounds “went astray” and killed an innocent person I’d be up on charges of manslaughter so fast it’d make my head spin. But then I’m just a citizen of Illinois with a CCL.

...

And you aren’t sent out to resolve domestic disturbance calls where people may be armed and violent.


21 posted on 02/07/2016 12:12:52 PM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: <1/1,000,000th%

Why was this woman who had nothing to do with the incident standing next to a cop killer?

Rumor has it she was his aunt and that she was in the middle of things by choice.

22 posted on 02/07/2016 12:15:32 PM PST by Amity
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To: NRx

Since “Quintonio” was a black guy, this cop may have been making a preemptive move with the lawsuit to prevent the usual “Ferguson/Baltimore effect” by the BLM bunch. Also, the lady who was hit by the same bullet should not have been lurking around a confrontational police situation.

That being said, police officers are trained to be aware of the background before they shoot. But in the heat of battle, “stuff happens”. I guess we’ll see how this plays out.


23 posted on 02/07/2016 12:15:33 PM PST by Zman516 (Truth is the new hate speech -- Thought-Criminal #1)
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To: GOPJ; Talisker

Like the child who killed his parents begs for mercy as an orphan? Without even any explaining to do?

Privilege abused becomes a liability sooner or later. It is an ironclad rule of this moral universe.


24 posted on 02/07/2016 12:27:44 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Zman516

Sounds more like a way to raise further outrage. But again I’m just another peanut in the gallery.


25 posted on 02/07/2016 12:28:37 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Moonman62

What’s your point?

L


26 posted on 02/07/2016 12:31:52 PM PST by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: sparklite2

These rules are widely known. I grew up with them. Note #4

The Four Rules

1. All guns are always loaded. (Treat them so!)
2. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target (and you have made the decision to shoot).
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.


27 posted on 02/07/2016 12:32:06 PM PST by yeff (Yuor biran has teh alibtiy to mkae oderr out of caohs)
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To: Lurker; Moonman62

You and Moon probably deserve each other.

Moon is on some philosophical jihad to avenge what he reports as a railroad job on some officer. Now he feels that reverse railroading is the only answer to the problem. The dickens with truth. Maybe your clash will eventually prove to both of you that truth, and not spin, still matters. And to allow that, the sloganeering has to be turned off.


28 posted on 02/07/2016 12:36:47 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: NRx

Simply put the best defense is a good offense


29 posted on 02/07/2016 12:43:25 PM PST by Cyman
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To: Talisker

“Cops are actually allowed extra- powerful loads, which undoubtedly contributed to the ability of the bullet to travel completely through one person and then kill someone else.”

Patently not true.


30 posted on 02/07/2016 12:45:32 PM PST by dasboot (Angus Khan)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Oh do shut up.

L


31 posted on 02/07/2016 12:48:34 PM PST by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Lurker

That is certainly true in Chicago. The corruption in and of that city is breathtaking in its vastness.

I ride the train into the city every day for work, as my office is in the Loop. I go into work in the morning, and leave in the evening. I go straight from the train station to my office, and then reverse course without any deviation at the end of the day. I try not to spend so much as a dime in the city while I am there, or in Cook County, for that matter.


32 posted on 02/07/2016 12:50:39 PM PST by ought-six (Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule.)
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To: Talisker

Hey everyone, check out the guy who doesn’t realize +p ammo isn’t LEO only.

All the Law Officer nomenclature does is signify a higher quality is used to ensure performance reliability.

+P is an old old issue. You may be shocked to know there’s also +p+ too.


33 posted on 02/07/2016 12:51:52 PM PST by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: B4Ranch

“Google “+P law enforcement load” and you’ll understand where Talisker is coming from.”

Readily available to anyone. And I have never heard of a PD using anything but frangible bullets....for the very reason you posit. FMJ = verboten, because of the liability you swerve toward.


34 posted on 02/07/2016 12:52:10 PM PST by dasboot (Angus Khan)
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To: Leaning Right

Didn’t the article say the bullet that killed the thug also killed the lady after passing through the crazy thug?

Can’t see where the police officer should be sued for accidentally killing the lady. Seems like the family of the lady should sue the crazy thugs family for the death caused by the crazy thugs behavior.

From reading the article would you have the police officer get his head bashed in instead of taking a reasonable defense of life shot? Would you let some guy bash your head in without defending yourself? I think not.

He hit the target, killed the crazy thug. It is not like he missed and killed the lady through recklessness. A one-in-a-million pass-through shot killing an innocent lady is not reckless or criminal or a violation of civil rights.


35 posted on 02/07/2016 1:00:36 PM PST by Hulka
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To: Talisker

“Cops are actually allowed extra-powerful loads,”

Cite the law on that, please.

And what is an “extra-powerful” round?

What is an illegal “extra-powerful” round?


36 posted on 02/07/2016 1:02:34 PM PST by Hulka
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To: Hulka

The article I read stated that two rounds were glancing shots. There you go.


37 posted on 02/07/2016 1:03:40 PM PST by dasboot (Angus Khan)
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To: NRx
'Officer Rialmo drew his handgun from its holster, and starting to fire from holster level, fired eight rounds at LeGrier from his 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun, which holds 18 rounds, in approximately two and a half seconds.'

The suit adds that the 'fourth round that Officer Rialmo fired passed through LeGrier and struck Bettie Jones, who unbeknownst to Officer Rialmo, was standing in the front doorway to the building … behind LeGrier and partially exposed to any gunfire that might pass through LeGrier.'

Seems to me Bettie Jones is partially at fault here, if this narrative is correct

The mentally ill guy is swinging a bat at him, officer starts to fire and she is just standing there...

I understand the time frame is tight, but once a guy starts swinging a bat around, I'd start moving away...

38 posted on 02/07/2016 1:05:37 PM PST by Popman (Christ alone: My Cornerstone...)
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To: dasboot

Yea, I reload and know a fair bit about self defense LA and the legalities of what is and isn’t legal.

The only real laws on bullets we have in America deal with importation. Bullet power isn’t really a factor. Otherwise a 115gr +p+ 9mm would be legal but a 44magnum ppssibly wouldn’t.

I can take H110 powder and load it into a 45 Long Colt with a 185gr FMJ to such a degree that the bullet screams out of a Ruger with enough power and anger to just about match a 223. Not a single cop would arrest me. Though they’d probably warn me I’m risking my safety if the pressure spikes too high. If I used it to defend myself. Wouldn’t go to jail for it.


39 posted on 02/07/2016 1:05:52 PM PST by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: B4Ranch; Bogey78O; Talisker

“Some of these JHP rounds, such as the Ranger-T, are ‘LE only’ by manufacturer’s policy. I double-checked this with ace researcher Gary Slider at the blue-chip resource site handgunlaw.us, and neither he nor I know of anywhere outside San Francisco where it’s actually against the local law to use them.”
http://americanhandgunner.com/police-ammo-for-the-rest-of-us/


40 posted on 02/07/2016 1:07:00 PM PST by Hulka
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