Mary Alice Love's family to announce new developments in fatal Mundelein police shooting
Family of Mary Alice Love seeks accountability in meeting with Mundelein officials
Representatives for the family of Mary Alice Love met Wednesday with the Mundelein mayor and village leaders in what the family described as a long-awaited step toward accountability following the 37-year-old’s fatal police shooting in May.
MUNDELEIN, Ill. - The family of a 37-year-old Mundelein woman plans to announce new developments Wednesday in the investigation into her fatal shooting by police earlier this year.
Mary Alice Love family press conference
What we know:
The family of Mary Alice Love is scheduled to hold a news conference at noon outside the Lake County Courthouse.
Ahead of the event, family spokesperson Bishop Travis Grant told FOX Chicago the family believes it is about to receive information it has been waiting months to learn.
"Today we are going to get information that we won't have to wait on any longer. This is on the heels of the police department putting out splices of video and audio that for all practical purposes mischaracterized the entire incident, it besmirched the family and presented the wrong narrative as relates to Mary Alice Love's condition," Grant said.
Love was shot and killed in May after Mundelein police responded to her home for what police described as a mental health emergency.
Police have said Love made statements about wanting officers to kill her. Investigators said a patrol sergeant trained in Crisis Intervention Team Response encountered Love while she was holding two large knives and opened fire.
The family has disputed how officers handled the situation, arguing police failed to properly de-escalate the encounter.
The backstory:
Last week, Grant met privately with Mundelein Mayor Robin Meier and other village leaders on behalf of Love's family in what he described as a long-awaited step toward accountability.
The hourlong meeting focused on accountability, transparency and improving police responses to future mental health crises.
Although the family did not receive its requests for the release of the full body camera video, an apology from village leaders or the termination of the officer involved, Grant said afterward that the discussion marked progress and an opportunity to begin rebuilding trust.
The family also chose not to bring attorneys to the meeting, saying it wanted to approach discussions in good faith while allowing the investigation to continue.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear what new information the family plans to announce during Wednesday's news conference.
Authorities have not publicly identified the officer who fired the fatal shots, saying only that he is an 18-year veteran of the Mundelein Police Department who has served as a patrol sergeant for about four and a half years. He remains on administrative leave, which is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting.
What's next:
The investigation remains active. Once the Lake County Coroner's Office completes its inquest and outstanding medical records are reviewed, the case will be sent to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office for a final review.
The Source: The information in this story came from an interview with family spokesperson Bishop Travis Grant, the Mundelein Police Department, and previous FOX Chicago reporting.