Family demands accountability in Mundelein police shooting

MUNDELEIN, Ill. - Family members, friends and activists gathered in Mundelein Thursday evening to demand accountability following the fatal police shooting of 37-year-old Mary Alice Love.

Dozens of protesters met outside Village Hall before marching to the Mundelein Police Department, calling for answers nearly six weeks after Love was shot and killed by an officer responding to what relatives describe as a mental health crisis.

Love’s family says they called for help during a depression episode, expecting a mental health response. Instead, they say police officers arrived and the situation escalated.

Recently released body camera footage from the Mundelein Police Department shows officers responding to a home on Ashbrook Drive after receiving reports that Love was suicidal.

Police have previously said Love threatened officers with knives before an officer opened fire.

What they're saying:

Family members and their attorney, Kevin O’Connor, argue the footage does not tell the full story and say officers failed to properly de-escalate the encounter before deadly force was used.

"The number one key in a de-escalation situation is communication," O’Connor said during the protest. "They gave zero opportunity for her to comply."

Love’s father, Johnny Love, criticized the officer involved and questioned the department’s handling of the incident.

Protesters are demanding the release of additional body camera footage, the termination of the officer who fired the fatal shot, independent investigations by the Illinois State Police and the U.S. Department of Justice, and a public apology from village leaders.

The demonstration remained peaceful as participants marched through the village calling for justice and police accountability.

The other side:

FOX 32 Chicago reached out to the Mundelein Police Department for comment but had not received a response as of Thursday evening.

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