Clinton calls for federal investigation of Chicago shooting

It took more than a year from the night a white Chicago police officer fatally shot a black teenager until the city’s top prosecutor announced murder charges against the patrolman – a long wait that has provoked sharp criticism of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. “Mayor Rahm Emanuel demonstrated a willful ignorance”, the left-leaning editorial board wrote Wednesday. “I still support her, and that question of whether I continue to have her support is up to her, but I feel pretty confident I do”, he said.

In the face of the mayor’s dodging and weaving, Chicago reporters wanted to know, with good reason, whether he had fought the video’s release and delayed approval of a $5 million settlement with the McDonald family to protect his prospects in a tough re-election year.

But U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said that police and the community need to “build a relationship based on mutual trust and respect”. Alvarez is also being criticized for keeping dash-cam video of the shooting under wraps until a court ordered its release. Van Dyke, who shot McDonald 16 times, was charged with first-degree murder Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015.

Emanuel, who is facing calls for his resignation, said Wednesday he was against a federal inquiry. Emanuel served as Obama’s first chief of staff. The major said the task force will review the system of accountability, police oversight and training in the Chicago police department, reports Reuters. The ostensible point of the meetings was to assuage fears among Chicago’s black residents about how the city had handled the case, but for Emanuel they seemed to have one other objective: to warn the leaders who represent those residents that there would be repercussions if protests got out of control. He also announced how he formally asked the Chicago Police Superintendent Garry… Emanuel said the superintendent candidate the city is looking for has no type.

Emanuel praised the leadership of outgoing police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.

The firing isn’t sitting well among many police officers.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is rejecting calls by Attorney General Lisa Madigan for a new and wide-ranging federal investigation of Chicago police practices.

The mayor’s office said in a Tuesday news release that former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who is a Chicago native, will be a senior adviser for the panel. On November 24, the video was finally released which showed the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by officer Jason Van Dyke on October 20, 2014.