The inspector general’s report centered on the actions of 10 officers, including the seven whom Johnson says should be dismissed.
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The officers violated Rule 14, which prohibits “making a false report, written or oral”, said Johnson. “He’ll make that decision, and I’ll back that decision up”, the mayor said.
The police officer who killed a black motorist in a shooting whose bloody aftermath was livestreamed on Facebook was defended by his chief Wednesday as a level-headed member of the force with “a real sound ability when it”.
The opinion last week found that the Chicago Police Department improperly failed to search 12 officers’ personal email accounts in response to an inquiry from CNN about the October 2014 police shooting of McDonald. J because he disagrees with the inspector general’s finding on that individual, the Sun-Times reported. The process typically takes about seven months, so any decision to fire the officers isn’t likely until next year.
An announcement could come as early as Thursday, which would leave the matter in the hands of the Chicago Police Board.
Prosecutors filed first-degree murder charges against Van Dyke, who has pleaded not guilty.
“The Department and its outside counsel have carefully reviewed the reports and supporting documents, videos, and other evidence and will accept” the recommendations to fire seven of the officers, Guglielmi said. The police department received criticism for taking over a year to release the video of Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old McDonald 16 times.
The subsequent release of police reports raised serious questions about other officers’ accounts of the shooting, which seemed to contradict what was on the video and portrayed McDonald as more of a threat than he appeared to be in that footage.
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Criminal justice experts and activists reached on Thursday said the firing of the officers in Chicago could signal to the entire nation that a culture of covering up law enforcement misconduct is no longer being tolerated. The officers have been relieved of their police powers prior to the determination of the Police Board.
