Justice Dept. setting up hotline to report Chicago police misconduct

An lawyer for a white Chicago policeman charged with homicide within the shooting death of a black teenager stated friday. he’ll seek a alter of venue, arguing in that feedback Mayor Rahm Emanuel made jeopardize his client’s probabilities of a acceptable trial.

Van Dyke approached Judge James Brown with his hands clasped behind his back when his case was the first to be called in the Branch 66 bond court at about noon.

Jason Van Dyke, the infamous and disgraced Chicago police officer, was formally indicted on Thursday on seven counts related to the October, 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

Van Dyke had to link arms with supporters to get through the crowd to reach a black pickup truck that had pulled up in front of the courthouse on California Avenue to pick him up.

A handful of protesters swarmed Van Dyke as he exited the Leighton Criminal Court Building, repeatedly chanting, “16 times and a cover-up” for the number of shots that struck and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Officer Jason Van Dyke was formarlly charged with first degree murder along with one count of official misconduct. Within the next few weeks, an arraignment will be scheduled. The original charge was announced the same day that the city released the dash cam video of the fatal shooting, which depicted an execution-style, gangland killing of the Black teen.

Department of Justice officials have finished two days of meetings in Chicago as they begin a civil rights investigation into the city police department.

Hours before the video was released, prosecutors charged Van Dyke with first-degree murder. Pfleger suggested the mayor go to corporations as well as the county, state and federal governments for investments in struggling communities.

Emanuel sacked Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy soon after a judge ordered the city to make the video public.

Community outreach is a key feature of the probe.

The DOJ will look into the police department’s use of force, police accountability and other matters. President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff said Wednesday that the federal investigation, to which he was initially cool, will bring a “fresh set of eyes” on persistent allegations of police misconduct.