The father of a 19-year-old man who was shot and killed by a police officer in Chicago last week burst into tears as he recalled his memories of his son.
Antonio LeGrier repeatedly cried during an interview with CNN on Tuesday when he was asked about the shooting of his son, Quintonio LeGrier, on Saturday in West Garfield Park home.
The dad called 911 for assistance in dealing with his son who had mental issues.
LeGrier struggled with his emotions during the interview with CNN host Brooke Baldwin, according to Raw Story.
He sobbed and put his head in his hands.
"This just doesn't feel right," the CNN host said.
LeGrier regained his composure but was crying again during the interview.
"I'm doing this interview and the lawsuit so no one can just walk away and sweep it under the rug. Because my son's life will not be in vain. I need the nation to know that I, Antonio LeGrier, father of Quintonio LeGrier, raised a good son," he said
He added, "I want to be the first one to say, I am now his voice! I'm his voice. I'm all he's got to tell his story."
LeGrier filed a wrongful death case against the city, saying his son did not pose any threat to the police officer who killed him, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
Quintonio was a sophomore at the Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Lawyer Basilejos Foutris said he was "20 to 30" feet away from the police officer who shot him inside the West Garfield Park home.
Bettie Jones, a neighbor, was fatally wounded by the police.
"Quintonio was inside the building when he was shot, and the officer was 20, 30 feet away and outside the building," Foutris said.
LeGrier had a baseball bat, according to the police scanner, but it wouldn't have justified the shooting.
"There was no way he was posing a threat to the officer. He didn't have a gun. He didn't have a knife. He certainly didn't have any kind of a weapon that could have presented a threat to an officer who was 20, 30 feet away," Foutris said.
Lawyers for the Jones' family said they have not filed a lawsuit.
"We're letting the family grieve" right now," said attorney Larry Rogers Jr.
He said "it appears to be clearly a wrongful death situation where an officer fires into a house when it could be expected there would be occupants inside."
The lawyers said Jones and Quintonio were inside the house when they were shot.
LeGrier said his son was shot seven times. He was awakened by loud banging on his door and he knew it was his son.
"He did not think his son was going to harm him. He thought his son was angry and he was looking for some help to defuse the situation. . . . He certainly didn't call to have his son shot and killed," Foutris said.
