Quintonio LeGrier's father gives tearful testimony in wrongful death case

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The father of Quintonio Legrier took the stand Thursday in a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Chicago. He offered some tearful testimony about what happened to his son.

Officer Robert Rialmo testified Wednesday that he regretted the shooting of downstairs neighbor Bettie Jones, but not that of Quintonio LeGrier, who he said came at him with a baseball bat over his head.

LeGrier's father testified for much of the day about how proud he was of his 19-year-old college sophomore son home from Northern Illinois University on Christmas break.

In the early morning hours, he said he was awaked to Quintonio banging on his bedroom door that was braced with a board.

"I didn't know what was going on with my son, but I knew I couldn't help him so I called 911 for help," Antonio LeGrier said.

LeGrier said he called his downstairs neighbor to open the door for police.

"When I got midway down the stairs I heard gunshots," he testified.

Realizing his son was shot but moving and still alive, LeGrier told the jury: "I was yelling help, help, help, help! An officer was yelling at me to shut up!"

And once paramedics arrived, Legrier emotionally testified: "They were dragging him. I saw the blood smearing and I'm wondering why they are dragging him. Why aren't they helping him?"

An officer on the scene just after Quintonio LeGrier and Bettie Jones were shot by Officer Robert Rialmo also testified in court.

"As I was approaching the house I saw Rialmo outside...and he was looking at the ground he was saying, 'F***. F***. I f***ed up,'" Chicago Police Officer Hodges Smith testified.

LeGrier told jurors he was detained for seven to eight hours being interrogated by police.

"I didn't understand why I was being questioned and wondering why I couldn't leave to see my son," he said.

LeGrier even recorded on his phone some of the conversation at the police station when he was asking for an attorney. Jurors heard portions of the recording.

Later he testified: "I felt, how could this happen. What happened? I still don't know what happened to this day!"

Officer Rialmo testified that after the shooting, Antonio LeGrier said to him, "You did what you had to do." But today, LeGrier flatly denied ever saying that.

It will be up to jurors to decide if the shooting was justified or unjustified and if the city of Chicago is responsible.