Timothy Glaze, 58, was killed Friday at about 2:10 a.m. at the Albany Terrace seniors Apartments in the Little Village neighborhood.
Charlotta Pritchett said Glaze was her boyfriend, and he was staying with her in the sixth-floor apartment. She added that Glaze was battling cancer.
She said she decided to call 911 when his demeanor changed, and his eyes started to glaze over.
CPD officers said when they arrived at the apartment, Glaze had a knife and advanced at officers.
Police officers shot him multiple times. He later died at the hospital.
Glaze's family said they were told Glaze had 28 wounds.
Now, Pritchett and Little Village community activists are questioning Chicago police officers' use of lethal force rather than non-violent de-escalation tactics.
"This is the type of thing that happen in our community when we are having a bad day, where we can't have a bad day. And, if we are having a bad day, we might get killed," said Baltazar Enriquez, with the Little Village Community Council.
Pritchett said, despite having an order of protection against Glaze, he was homeless, and she took him in, as he was in the final stages of life with three kinds of cancer.
She said he was also be treating for mental health issues, and she noticed his demeanor change in the days before she called 911 for help Friday morning.
"I don't want to call 911 ever again in my life because it took his life, and that's not what it's supposed to do. It's supposed to serve and protect," Pritchett said. "Anyone who is available to help pray with, pray for me, an help us get justice for Timothy."
An Albany Terrace resident's relative shared photos of what they say are bullet holes in the floors and patched holes in walls.
"From the apartment to the elevator where they start shooting, it's 15 to 20 feet, how they say he lunged at him I cannot see it," said Charles Odum, with The Union to End Slums.
ABC7 Chicago reached out to Chicago police and has not heard back.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the incident while the officers involved are placed on routine administrative leave.
COPA said there is bodycam video of the incident.
Glaze's family released a statement, saying, We are devastated by the tragic and senseless loss of our beloved Timothy Glaze. As a family, we are in deep mourning and struggling to comprehend how Timothy's life could be taken in such a brutal and excessive manner. Timothy, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, deserved help, compassion, and care-not bullets. The Chicago Police Department's decision to fire 28 shots at a vulnerable individual in distress, when non-lethal options were available, is not only a tragedy but also a profound failure to serve and protect.
Mental health crises should never lead to violence. Every person, especially those in moments of profound vulnerability, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. The use of excessive force in this situation, which called for empathy and de-escalation, is a betrayal of the trust we place in law enforcement to protect us.
We demand a full and transparent investigation into this tragic incident. We seek accountability and justice-not just for Timothy, but for everyone who suffers in silence, fearing harm instead of help when they reach out for assistance during a crisis.
Our deepest hope is that this unimaginable loss will inspire meaningful change in how law enforcement responds to mental health emergencies. The systems meant to protect us must be equipped with the training, compassion, and resources necessary to handle these situations with care, not violence.
Though our hearts are broken, we will not remain silent. We stand for justice and for a future where no one else has to endure what Timothy did.
We ask for your loving prayers and support as we navigate this painful time.
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