During his brief speech to students, Emanuel alluded to the city’s crisis since the release of dashcam video showing the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald, noting “it’s a particular time in the city”. Escalante vowed to end it, while Fraternal Order of Police president Dean Angelo said it doesn’t exist.
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The investigation will focus on the department’s use of force, Lynch said, particularly if there are racial, ethnic or other disparities in officers’ use of force, and its systems of accountability.
U.S. Department of Justice officials are in Chicago Wednesday to meet with Interim Police Supt.
The meeting is part of a federal civil rights investigation into officers’ use of force, sparked by the Laquan McDonald case.
“The Chicago Police Department welcomes the meeting requested by the Department of Justice, and pledges the city’s complete and full cooperation”, said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. The charges were announced hours before the video’s release and over a year after the shooting.
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Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez charged Van Dyke with murder, but her office faces criticism for the timing. There will also be more pressure on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign Wednesday morning. Tuesday night, 16 protesters were arrested downtown after they shut down a busy intersection. A Black Friday protest on the strip drew thousands of protesters, who prevented shoppers from entering some stores. He also has apologized for the McDonald shooting.
