The Chicago Police Department has announced that it seeks to fire the officers that were involved in the Laquan McDonald shooting, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson said he is in favor of firing four patrol officers and a sergeant, who were reported to have lied about the shooting death of McDonald that occurred in October 2014.
The Laquan McDonald shooting has had a number of twists and turns since video surfaced in November 2015 of him being shot 16 times in October 2014. Since that time, the CPD and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office have made it clear they will not stand for this conduct and are doing some major PR work to repair their images. Those actions began with officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot McDonald, being charged with first-degree murder, which is the first time in 35 years a Chicago police officer has been charged with this action. Johnson filed for dismissing Van Dyke and a handful of other officers whose stated version of events ran contrary to what appeared on the footage. This discrepancy may indicate that these officers participated in a coverup.
The move comes at a time when Chicago police and city officials are facing immense scrutiny for how they have handled the McDonald shooting. In April 2015, the Chicago City Council approved a $5 million settlement for the McDonald family, even though they had yet to file a wrongful-death lawsuit. And with the video being released a full year after the initial shooting, many seemed to be outraged by the mistrust. Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson recommended the city fire the 10 officers that were involved with the case, but over the last few weeks, three have retired, and one had resigned. One officer, Dora Fontaine, disagreed with the suggestion, and the Tribune reported that she may face disciplinary action by a police board, which sometimes handles matters between officers and city agencies.
But this may not be the end for the controversy surrounding the McDonald shooting. The Tribune pointed out police board cases can stretch out for months, and even after a decision is handed down, officers can challenge them in court. It may be awhile before any discipline is handed down over an incident that is slowly approaching its two-year anniversary.
(Via Chicago Tribune & CBS Chicago)