CHICAGO — Latisha Jones heard gunshots outside of her Austin home on Dec. 26 and went to find out what happened.
She found her mother, Bettie Jones, laying face down in the doorway to their building in a pool of her own blood. When Latisha tried to help her mother, an officer at the scene allegedly told her that her mother was dead and to "get over it," according to courtroom documents filed Monday.
Latisha and her sister, Latarsha Jones, filed their suit against the city Monday over their mother's shooting death at the hands of police. Calling the shooting excessive and unjustified, the sisters filed a wrongful death suit in the case. Latisha is seeking damaged for emotional distress that stemmed from the incident, according to court documents.
The family is seeking at least $100,000 in damages.
Bettie, 55, was accidentally shot at around 4:25 a.m. after officers responded to a domestic disturbance call in the 4700 block of West Erie Street.
An upstairs neighbor had called police on his son, 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who had become agitated and was swinging a baseball bat, according to Bettie's family and court documents.
LeGrier's father called Bettie and asked her to open the door for police, but officers shot her through the door and killed her, according to family statements and court documents.
"Bettie Ruth Jones faced a hail of bullets being fired by an on duty Chicago Police Department officer at and in the direction of her home and her, with bullets going through the doorway, and through the walls of the home where her 19-year-old daughter ... and others were located and at risk of injury and death," the lawsuit reads.
LeGrier, 19, was also fatally shot in the incident.
The suit alleges that officers did not attempt to help Bettie or LeGrier after they were shot, and that they stopped Latisha from aiding her mom, who was apparently alive after being shot.
The same day as the shooting, Chicago Police confirmed that Bettie's death at the hands of officers was accidental.
Police "were confronted by a combative subject [LeGrier] resulting in the discharging of an officer's weapon," according to a statement released by police Saturday morning.
A police statement sent that night said: "The 55 year old female victim was accidentally struck and tragically killed. The department extends it's [sic] deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends."
Read the lawsuit here:
Jones Lawsuit by Steve Warmbir
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