Mary Alice Love's death ruled homicide; family seeks charges against Mundelein officer
Mary Alice Love's death was homicide due to gunshot wounds, jury says
A jury reached a verdict Wednesday morning that the death of a Mundelein woman killed in a police shooting was a homicide due to gunshot wounds. FOX Chicago's Gabriella Premus has the latest on what the family and attorneys are saying, including new evidence in Mary Alice Love's death.
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - The death of a 37-year-old Mundelein woman at the hands of police earlier this year has been ruled a homicide.
Mary Alice Love's death ruled homicide
What we know:
The family of Mary Alice Love held a news conference Wednesday outside the Lake County Courthouse after a coroner's jury found Love's death was a homicide by multiple gunshot wounds following testimony and autopsy evidence presented during the inquest.
The family now hopes this development leads to criminal charges against the officer who fired the fatal shots.
Before the ruling, family spokesperson Bishop Travis Grant told FOX Chicago the family believed it was about to receive information it had 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:
Authorities have not publicly identified the officer involved, 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:
With the coroner's inquest complete, the case will now be forwarded 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, the coroner's inquest and previous FOX Chicago reporting.