Feds launch civil rights investigation of Chicago Police Department

Prosecutors initially charged Van Dyke with one count of murder hours before video of the October 2014 shooting was made public.

A grand jury indicted him on Tuesday saying that Van Dyke “without lawful justification, intentionally or knowingly shot and killed Laquan McDonald while armed with a firearm”, according to the indictment copy.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Monday the Justice Department has launched a civil “pattern and practice investigation” into the Chicago Police Department to determine whether the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was part of a larger, widespread pattern of officers violating civil rights.

During a scheduled visit Wednesday to Chicago’s Urban Prep, an all-boys charter school, Mayor Rahm Emanuel was interrupted by student protesters chanting “16 shots”, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.

Van Dyke’s attorney, Daniel Herbert, said he had not heard about the indictment on Wednesday, but said “it would not come as a surprise”.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets near Chicago’s City Hall, blocking traffic and chanting, “16 shots and a cover-up” and “Shut it down”.

One reason a civil rights investigation takes so long compared with criminal investigations: It is vast.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is responding to Chicago police union claims that officer morale is the lowest it’s been in decades.

Use of force by police has become a focus of national debate due to a series of high-profile police killings of black men by mainly white officers in USA cities. Are abuses widespread or isolated to a few rogue officers?

Chicago joins 22 other police departments similarly investigated since the start of the Obama administration, including Baltimore and New Orleans. Two representatives from mayor’s office traveled to Washington last week to meet with DOJ officials to discuss the investigation. In coming months, investigators will talk to everyone from beat cops to residents who alleged police misconduct in their neighborhoods.

The investigation comes first, followed by a publicly released report.