July 15, 2016

The parents of a black teenager shot and killed in December by a white Chicago police officer are accusing the policeman of a hate crime because of language used in text messages the officer exchanged before the shooting, the family’s lawyer said on Friday.

The allegation is part of an amended lawsuit filed on Thursday against the police officer, Robert Rialmo, and the City of Chicago by the family of Quintonio LeGrier, 19, who was shot and killed on Dec. 26.

It said that before the shooting Rialmo would discuss whether he got “any niggas” and thought it was humorous to characterize people with that term. Basileios Foutris, a lawyer for LeGrier’s parents, said by telephone that Rialmo had these discussions in text messages.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-chicago-police-legrier-idUSKCN0ZV28P