© Joshua Lott / ReutersJanet Cooksey (L), is embraced as she attends the funeral for her son Quintonio LeGrier in Chicago, Illinois, January 9, 2016
Quintonio LeGrier made three calls to 911 emergency dispatchers in Illinois, pleading for officers to be sent to his father's home, according to newly released recordings. One dispatcher hung up on him. Chicago police shot LeGrier six times.
Audio recordings of the 911 calls, including a fourth by LeGrier's father, were released Monday by the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA), which investigates police shootings in the city. Previously, Chicago authorities said only two 911 calls were made.
Early on the morning of December 26, LeGrier, 19, called 911 asking for police officers to come to the home on Chicago's West Side. He did not give his name or many details as to why he wanted a police presence, only saying he was being threatened and that an emergency was taking place. He and a neighbor, Bettie Jones, were fatally shot by Chicago Police Officer Robert Rialmo minutes later. His father was shot in the chest but survived.The shooting came amid rising tensions between city officials, police and Chicago residents, especially within communities of color. Shortly before LeGrier's killing, a Chicago police officer was
charged with the murder of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager shot 16 times in 2014. Video of the shooting was released to the public over a year later, sparking
widespread outrage and calls for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Comment: See more: 28 inches of snow, floods, emergency in New York: Deadly snowstorm 'Jonas' hits US East Coast