Chicago families have new hope for police shooting reviews

That officer, Jason Van Dyke, is charged with first-degree murder after shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times.

The mayor’s support for the broader federal investigation into his Police Department is a turnabout after Emanuel earlier this month called such a probe “misguided”.

Standing outside Chicago Police Headquarters on Thursday, Wooten and other retired officers also offered ideas for better training police to work with minority communities, and repairing what they say is a broken system.

Garry McCarthy, the former police commissioner of Chicago, was removed from his job in the wake of the video’s release amid complaints that the city took too long to conduct its probe. John Escalante is serving as the interim police superintendent. Emanuel’s lawyers and Cook County prosecutors went to court to oppose the suit, arguing that releasing the video would compromise a state investigation-despite the IL attorney general’s clear statement to the contrary.

A key component is also community outreach – talking with families of Chicago residents shot by officers, likely setting up a hotline and email for tips, and holding town hall meetings to get direct feedback from the public. The investigation will be focusing on use of force and accountability within the department.

The investigation comes first, followed by a publicly released report. The curious timing-the settlement came only after Emanuel faced a primary election and then a run-off vote-along with a clause to keep the dash-cam video secret, had all the trappings of hush money.

Officer Van Dyke has been free on bail after posting $1.5 million shortly after the initial charge was brought, and he is expected back in court on Friday to plead not guilty to the seven-count indictment, local media reported.

McDonald was walking down a street and carrying a knife with a 3-inch blade when he was shot 16 times.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to sit down with federal investigators Thursday on the second day of the Justice Department’s investigation of the Chicago Police Department.