A village meeting in Mundelein, Illinois, was cancelled on Monday night as relatives and supporters of Mary Alice Love gathered to demand action over her fatal shooting by police during a mental health crisis.
People filled the village hall calling on the mayor, police chief and village board to dismiss the sergeant who shot the 37-year-old woman. The committee meeting, due to begin at 6pm on October 26, was called off and officials said it would be rearranged, without giving a reason or setting a new date.
“The way that the Village of Mundelein has treated my family has been nothing short of disgusting,” one member of Love’s family told demonstrators.
Another speaker said: “Calling for mental health support should not end in your life being taken.”
Mary Alice Love shooting
Love was killed on May 11 after police were called to her family home in response to what authorities described as a mental health emergency.
Police said she was holding two large knives and had made comments about wanting officers to kill her before the sergeant opened fire. Her family disputes that account and alleges that officers failed to properly de-escalate the situation.
A Lake County coroner’s inquest in July ruled that Love’s death was a homicide. The finding does not, by itself, establish that the shooting was unlawful; the county’s state’s attorney has said such cases can involve either justified or unjustified homicides.
After reviewing an independent investigation, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office said criminal charges against the officer were not warranted. Prosecutor Eric Rinehart said the decision addressed whether the state could prove a crime beyond reasonable doubt, rather than whether the incident could have been handled differently.
The Mundelein Police Department has said it recognises the loss suffered by Love’s family and acknowledged that her mother had called for help during a mental health crisis. The department is conducting its own review to determine whether officers’ actions complied with policy, procedure and training, and has not decided whether disciplinary action will follow.
Love’s family has since filed a federal civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit against the Village of Mundelein and the police officer identified in the complaint as Sergeant Christopher Brigano. The family’s lawyer, Kevin O’Connor, said relatives remained determined to pursue accountability through the civil courts.
“This family is tired of waiting for criminal actions to be brought or taken on behalf of this family,” Mr O’Connor said. “They have unanswered questions, prolonged uncertainty and a feeling that justice remains out of reach.”
