Victim of Fatal Police Shooting Call 911 Before His Death

Quintonio LeGrier (left) was shot a few minutes after his last 911 call, along with Bettie Jones (right), a downstairs neighbor.
Quintonio LeGrier (left) was shot a few minutes after his last 911 call, along with Bettie Jones (right), a downstairs neighbor.

Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority says a 19-year-old college student called 911 three times asking them to send police before he was fatally shot by an officer.

The agency that investigates police shootings revealed Monday the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communication identified two additional 911 calls placed by Quintonio LeGrier prior to his death and that of 55-year-old Bettie Jones. One call by LeGrier had previously been made public.

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Sharon Fairley is the head of Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority.

"I need the police," LeGrier says according to a newly-released recording of one call.

The father of the Northern Illinois University student also made a 911 call.

LeGrier and Jones were killed Dec. 26 by police responding to a domestic disturbance at an apartment on the city's West Side. Police said Jones was hit accidentally by the shots fired by an officer.

Associated Press

Following is the statement from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC):

OEMC takes our role in public safety extremely seriously. We discovered these two calls - and the issues surrounding them, during our own internal review and immediately started an internal disciplinary process - turned them over to the Independent Police Review Authority, and we will continue to partner with them as they investigate this case.

The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications receives 5 million 911 calls a year, of which 2.5 million are dispatched. Call takers are required to ask specific questions to determine the nature of the event, determine if such a request warrants and emergency response and dispatch proper resources. Call takers follow specific protocols and may only terminate a call as a last resort.

Disciplinary proceedings are underway for the call-taker who handled the call at 4:18 a.m. for not following proper protocol. Per the CBA, the call-taker will remain in service until the discipline process is complete.

Below is full text of Quintonio and Antonio LeGrier's 911 calls:

Q: "Can you please send the police?"

Dispatch: "To where?"

Q: "4710 West Erie Street."

Dis: "What's wrong?"

Q: "I have an emergency."

Dis: "I need to know what's wrong."

Q: "Someone is ruining my life."

Dis: "Who? Where are they now?"

Q: "There in the house."

Dis: "What's your name?

Q: "Q."

Dis: "Where are you going to be Q?"

Q: "Are you going to send the police?" He mumbles what sounds like an obscenity after this

Dis: "Are you at the house?"

more obscenities

Dis: "Hello?"

1:21 Q: "Are you going to send the police or not?"

Dis: "Are you going to answer my questions?"

Q: "How are you talking to?"

Dis: "I'm talking to you? If you can't answer the questions, how do you expect me to assist you?

Q: "I already told you I am at the house."

Dis: "No you didn't. You told me that person was at the house."

Dis: "Any weapons involved?"

Q: "Nah."

Dis" Where are you going to be?

more obscenities

2:30 Q: "Yeah I need an officer at 4710 West Erie Street."

Dis: "37 what?"

Q: "4710 West Erie Street."

Dis: "OK, what's wrong?"

Q: "I just need an officer over here, OK?"

Dis: "No, it don't work like that. What's your emergency?"

Q: "I need to talk to an officer."

Dis: "OK what's wrong."

Q: "I need to talk to an officer."

Dis: "You can talk to an officer over the phone. I can connect you with one if you would like."

Q: "Someone's ruining my life."

Dis: "Is the person there with you now?"

Q; "Yes."

Dis: "Are you in an apartment or a house?"

Q: "A house."

Dis: "And your name?

Q: "Q."

Dis: "What's your last name?"

Q: "Are you going to send an officer?"

Dis: 'Yeah when you answer the question."

Q: "There's an emergency, can you send an officer?"

Dis: "Yes, as soon as you answer the questions. What's your last name?"

Q: "THERE'S AN EMERGENCY."

Dis: "If you can't answer the question I am going to hang up."

Q: "I NEED THE POLICE."

Dis: "Terminate the call."

4:40 "My son has freaked out. I need an officer at 4710 West Erie. 4710 West Erie I need police assistance."

5:12 "He's got a baseball bat in his hand right now."

Dis: "How old is he?

Antonio: "19"

Dis: "Has he been drinking?"

Antonio: "No."

Dis: "What's your name sir?"

Antonio: "Antonio LeGrier"

Dis: "OK. Watch for the police."

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