Grieving relatives and friends of two people shot and killed by Chicago police said Sunday the slayings raised concerns about why officers “shoot first and ask questions later,” saying the city failed residents even as a federal civil rights investigation has begun scrutinizing police practices.
The family of a black teenager shot 16 times by a white Chicago police officer joined the call Friday December 11, for change in local leadership and policing in the city and nationwide, weeks after a video of the 2014 killing set off days of protests. Laquan McDonald was shot in October 2014 by police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is charged with first-degree murder. Squad-car footage was released late last month upon a judge’s order, and protests have taken place almost daily since. Protesters allege a cover-up and have called for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook
There will be no justice for Laquan McDonald. He is dead, shot 16 times point blank by a Chicago police officer. Now, after over a year, after a dashboard camera video was released by judicial order, the police officer who shot him has been charged with murder. But this is only a first step. For Chicago to heal, many unanswered questions and many unmet problems must be addressed. Disciplined, nonviolent protests have demanded answers. Now it is time for action. This is not simply a case of one bad cop. Nine police officers were on the scene, yet not one
After a year-long investigation, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s office has filed first-degree murder charges against a Chicago Police officer accused of shooting a 17-year-old teen 16 times without provocation.