Chicago Cop Who Shot Teen, Grandma Involved In Another Bar Fight

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago police officer at the center of a 2015 shooting that left two people dead who was acquitted this week in a bar brawl from last year was involved in another fight at a city watering hole. Robert Rialmo was kicked out of a Northwest Side bar early Friday after an argument escalated to a physical confrontation that continued outside a nearby restaurant, according to NBC 5 Chicago.

So far, no arrests or charges have resulted from the incident, which is still under investigation, the report stated. Rialmo and the other individuals involved have been questioned, and the case could be turned over to Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the report added.

According to Chicago police, Rialmo was at Teaser's Pub, 7123 W. Higgins Ave., in Norwood Park when the officer was mistaken for someone else by other customers, the report stated. That led to an argument, and beer was spilled on Rialmo, the report added.

RELATED: Off-Duty Chicago Cop Who Shot Teen, Grandma Cleared In Bar Brawl

Rialmo and the customers began to tussle, and they eventually were thrown out of the bar, the report stated. But the conflict didn't end once they were outside the establishment. Another fight broke out in the street in front of a taco joint about a block away, the report added.

Police said all the individuals — who are being called "mutual combatants" at this point — have been cooperative, the report stated. Investigators continue to gather evidence, which could include possible video from cellphones and security cameras, the report added.

On Tuesday, a judge deliberated for an hour before acquitting Robert Rialmo of two counts of misdemeanor battery after he was accused of punching two men in December at Moretti's Ristorante & Pizzeria on the Far Northwest Side, an incident that was caught on video. An earlier theft charge in the case had been dropped by prosecutors before the trial.

Despite the judge's decision, Rialmo could still face punishment by COPA stemming from the incident. Authorities also have yet to decide on the officer's job status in regards to a fatal shooting on Dec. 26, 2015, following a call concerning a bat-wielding teenager at a West Garfield Park home.

In that incident, Rialmo shot and killed Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old engineering student at Northern Illinois University who had been accused of threatening his father. Rialmo claimed he fired at LeGrier because the teen was swinging a metal bat at him.

LeGrier wasn't the only victim from the shots fired by Rialmo. Bettie Jones, 55, had opened the door for Rialmo, and the grandmother and mother of five had been standing behind LeGrier when she was accidentally hit by gunfire.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office decided not to file criminal charges against Rialmo following an investigation by the Independent Police Review Authority, the Illinois State Police and the FBI. Prosecutors cited "insufficient evidence" to prove the officer didn't act in self-defense in the shooting as the reason not to press charges. COPA, however, called the shooting unjustified and asked that Rialmo, who was placed on administrative duty following the shooting, be fired.

More Patch Coverage:

• Grandmother 'Tragically Killed' in Accidental Police Shooting: Chicago PD
• Grief, Disbelief and Anger as 2 Families Deal With Accidental Police Shooting
• Chicago Cop Sues Estate of Teen He Shot 6 Times, Asks for $10 Million
• No Criminal Charges For Chicago Cop Who Shot Quintonio LeGrier, Bettie Jones
• Off-Duty Bar Fight Video Released Of Cop Who Shot LeGrier, Jones
• Mom Of Teen Shot By Chicago Cop Asked About Prostitution: Lawyer
• $16M Deal Reached In Fatal Shooting Of Grandma By Chicago Cop
• Jury's Verdict Against Chicago Cop In Shooting Lawsuit Reversed

In June, a Cook County jury in the wrongful death civil case brought by LeGrier's family ruled that the shooting was not justified and awarded the teen's estate $1.05 million in damages. That decision was reversed by a judge, however, citing a signed special question to the jury that determined Rialmo feared for his safety when he opened fire. The judge ruled that that question — known as a special interrogatory — outweighed the jury's original verdict.

But the reversal did not change the jury's verdict concerning Rialmo's countersuit against LeGrier's family. Jurors sided with the officer, who blamed the teen for the shooting and claimed it caused him emotional distress, but they didn't award him damages.

The city reached a tentative $16 million settlement with Jones' family in May concerning a similar civil case. The City Council still needs to approve the proposed deal and if that happens, the payout would be among the biggest by the city concerning a police-involved shooting.

More via NBC 5 Chicago

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