Video released a year after the incident shows that the 17-year-old McDonald, who was shot 16 times at close range by Van Dyke, was not threatening the officer at the time. That day, Van Dyke was charged with six counts of first degree murder and one count of official misconduct.
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Supt. Eddie Johnson issued an e-mail on Thursday recommending the termination and suspending the officers of their police powers, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The superintendent’s decision follows a report by the city’s inspector general sent to the department this week that recommended firing 10 officers involved in the case, police spokesman Frank Giancamilli said.
The decision comes after the city’s inspector general delivered a report this week on the shooting that called for the officers to be fired.
“While I know that this type of action can come with many questions and varying opinions, please know that these decisions were not made lightly”, Johnson wrote to Chicago officers in an email.
Van Dyke’s partner, Walsh, said McDonald continued to advance on them, ignoring commands to drop a knife in his hand.
He noted that two of the officers named in the report had already retired.
When this many members of the Chicago Police Department are found to have conspired together to cover up a murder, we must recognize that we have a systemic problem that must be addressed aggressively and unequivocally. The board will rule at that hearing as to whether the officers should be fired.
“Our formal response to the inspector general was sent this morning”.
Johnson’s decision stems from a scene that unfolded on dashcam video taken in October 2014 in which Officer Jason Van Dyke can be seen firing 16 times at McDonald, including when McDonald was on the ground. It showed McDonald walking away from police as he held a knife, not lunging toward officers as police had said.
The long-delayed footage prompted public backlash and mass protests, culminating with dismissal of the police chief and a Justice Department investigation into the Chicago Police Department’s use of force and practices.
The McDonald case led to widespread criticism of the mayor, city prosecutor and police department for their handling of the incident. The superintendent did not disclose the names of the seven police officers.
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Questions have remained since McDonald’s death almost two years ago about what discipline could follow, after suggestions that the teenager lunged at police was shown to be untrue by the video footage.
