Officer Rialmo Closer To Termination
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago Police officer is one step closer to being fired for a 2015 shooting that killed two people.
A pivotal decision was made at the police board meeting Thursday evening.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov has the details.
Officer Robert Rialmo's future came down to one person's decision. If that one board member had sided with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and called the shooting justified, Rialmo would remain on the department and the matter would be over.
That did not happen.
A month ago, Johnson said Rialmo was justified when he fired his weapon killing Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier.
But a board member disagreed and now the full board will decide if Rialmo should be fired.
"For this police board to have stood up and acknowledge that his findings are not supported and this should go to the full board is a step in the right direction," said Jones family attorney Larry Rogers Jr.
"There's a process in place to resolve disagreements and it's going through that and I honor the process," said Johnson.
The hearing comes more than two years after Rialmo killed Jones and LeGrier during a domestic call.
Rialmo claimed LeGrier came at him with a bat.
Johnson still backs Rialmo. So does the Fraternal Order of Police.
"What you have done is paralyze the police," said Martin Preib of the FOP. "No officer now knows what he or she can do."
The families of Jones and LeGrier say no way should Rialmo keep his job.
"Do the right thing," said LeGrier's mother Janet Cooksey, in a message to the board. "That's all I want is for you to do the right thing."
