The Attorney General of Illinois asked the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the Chicago Police Department, stating that public trust has been broken following the killing of teenager Laquan McDonald by a CPD officer.
In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch Tuesday, Illinois AG Lisa Madigan asked the DOJ Civil Rights Division to probe Chicago law enforcement for systemic legal and Constitutional violations. She wanted the inquiry focused on the police department’s use of deadly force guidelines, the reliability of its internal investigations, and allegations of discriminatory policing.
“The shocking death of Laquan McDonald is the latest tragedy in our city that highlights serious questions about the use of unlawful and excessive force by Chicago police officers and the lack of accountability for such abuse,” Madigan said in a statement Tuesday.
The request came immediately after the release of dash cam video documenting the killing. The footage shows 17-year-old McDonald walking down the street with a knife before getting shot 16 times. Most of the rounds were fired while McDonald was already on the ground.
The shooting occurred on October 20, 2014, but the video was only made public last month after a judge forced the police department to release it. On the same day the tape was disclosed, the officer who shot McDonald, Jason Van Dyke, was charged with first-degree murder.
The delay in the video’s release and the timing of the charges brought against Van Dyke raised questions that Chicago police may have tried to cover up the incident. Those accusations against CPD have mounted following reports that officers allegedly deleted surveillance video in a nearby Burger King shortly after the shooting.
“Trust in the Chicago Police Department is broken. Chicago cannot move ahead and rebuild trust between the police and the community without an outside, independent investigation into its police department to improve policing practices,” Madigan added in her statement.
Also on Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel fired Superintendent of Police Garry McCarthy, claiming McCarthy had become a distraction, and was no longer an effective leader.
