‘A series of tactical errors’: Demonstrators blast police over shooting death of Mundelein woman

More than 100 people gathered outside Mundelein village hall Thursday evening to demand justice for a local woman who was fatally shot by police during a reported mental health crisis at her family’s home.

They called for transparency, accountability and the firing of the officer who killed 37-year-old Mary Alice Love on May 11.

Kevin O’Connor, an attorney representing Love’s family, led the roughly hourlong demonstration, which was followed by a march to the nearby police station and a smaller protest there.

O’Connor criticized the police department for releasing an edited compilation of 911 calls and bodycam footage rather than all the raw recordings, and for not meeting other demands put forth by the family. He alleged “a series of tactical errors” led to a police sergeant shooting Love — who was armed with two knives — multiple times, killing her.

“Your goal is to de-escalate the situation,” O’Connor said. “They caused it to escalate.”

Love’s mother, Jeffry, had called 911 that evening and asked for help because the younger woman was making suicidal statements. Love suffered from bipolar disorder, her mother told the dispatcher.

Bodycam video released by the Mundelein Police Department shows the armed Love rising from a patio table behind the house, opening a sliding-glass door and then being fatally shot.

The sergeant who shot Love is an 18-year department veteran whose name hasn’t been released. He has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation, which is being handled by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force in coordination with the Lake County state’s attorney’s office.

Love’s family has demanded the sergeant be fired and two other officers be suspended. They’ve also demanded a public apology from police for previous statements portraying Love as someone who threatened officers.

“She never threatened anybody,” O’Connor said. “She never pointed a knife at anybody.:

Love’s parents and other family members and friends joined O’Connor behind a portable lectern Monday. Love’s father, Johnny Love, called the officer who shot his daughter without apparent warning a coward.

“He is a liability to the police department,” Johnny Love said. “He is a liability to the community.”

Other speakers included religious leaders and community activists. Love was Black, and several speakers alleged race was a factor in the deadly violence.

The Rev. Eugene Roberson invoked George Floyd, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and other murdered Black Americans during his remarks.

“A young lady was murdered in her own home,” Roberson said. “It’s got to stop.”

Several of the speakers led the crowd in chants that included “Jail, jail, jail.”

Many of the attendees held signs honoring Love and decrying police violence. One read, “Send help, not harm”; another said, “Mary Alice’s life mattered.”

About a dozen people wore white T-shirts reading “Love Matters” on the front and “Mary Alice Forever in Our Hearts” on the back.

Uniformed police officers watched the two demonstrations from a distance. There were no confrontations.

Police Chief Jason Seeley declined to comment on the protest.

Village Administrator Eric Guenther said officials are cooperating with the investigation and will be as transparent as they can.

“The village understands this is a traumatic situation for all those involved and respects the families right to express their feelings,” Guenther said.