Lawsuit: Chicago officer's killing of student was hate crime
CHICAGO (AP) - The family of a college student who was fatally shot by a Chicago police officer has amended a lawsuit to label the shooting a hate crime.
The lawyer for the father of 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier says the personal texts of Officer Robert Rialmo showed racial bias.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Rialmo's attorney says the allegations of racism are "stupid and irresponsible." Rialmo's attorney released copies of text conversations in which one of the police officer's friends used racial slurs in the days before LeGrier's shooting.
Rialmo was responding to a 911 call for help when he fatally shot LeGrier, claiming the student was coming at him with a bat. The officer also shot and killed a neighbor in what police said was an accident.