On the morning of December 26, 2015, a Chicago police officer shot and killed 55-year-old Bettie Jones and 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier. Ms. Jones, mother of five and grandmother of ten, was a neighbor of the LeGrier family. She was also recovering from ovarian cancer and an activist with Action Now Chicago, a group heavily involved in urging Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.
Quintonio was an engineering major at Northern Illinois University. According to Mike Klonsky, “He graduated last year from Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy with honors, for having a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. He was listed as part of a team of students who ran the 2013 Chicago Marathon to raise money for clean drinking water for African children.”
The Chicago Police department said the killing of Ms. Jones was an ‘accident’. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said that the public deserves answers. Rahm is currently out of the country on vacation. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has continued to support and stand by Rahm Emanuel despite the public call for his resignation after the cover-up police killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
When you continue to kill unarmed Black people it’s no longer an “accident. That’s insanity. #BettieJones
— Kwame Rose (@kwamerose) December 27, 2015
Mike Klonsky’s SmallTalk Blog: If Bettie was killed by ‘accident’, what about Quintonio? https://t.co/OE2Fw5Snhw — Mike Klonsky (@mikeklonsky) December 27, 2015
#BettieJones was my: aunt mother grandmother concerned neighbor and yours.
— Kwame Rose (@kwamerose) December 27, 2015
Quintonio LeGrier shouldn’t be dead. Bettie Jones shouldn’t be dead. Alas, the Chicago police have struck again. https://t.co/CF90HjVEI6 — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) December 27, 2015
57 year old Bettie Jones was an activist and mother of 5. She was a member of @ActionNowChi. #SayHerName
— BYP100 (@BYP_100) December 26, 2015
Bettie Jones’ cousin: “Her blood is crying out from the grave saying, ‘Evelyn, avenge me'” https://t.co/wdb035Y256 pic.twitter.com/DPtjRey4Ea — Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) December 26, 2015
SHE HAS A NAME: 55 yr old Bettie Jones, mother of 5 and grandmother of 10, was shot and killed by a Chicago cop. pic.twitter.com/8DEZUGFrdg
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) December 27, 2015
Quarter of a million signatures for @chicagosmayor to see. Resign mayor. Resign. #resignrahm pic.twitter.com/gGyebWgY1V — Action Now (@ActionNowChi) December 21, 2015