US opens federal probe into Chicago police after black teen shot dead

The U.S. Justice Department is expected to announce this week a civil rights investigation of the Chicago Police Department similar to probes of police departments in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri. The official is not authorized to speak about the announcement and would only speak to Associated Press reporter Don Babwin on condition of anonymity.

Video from the McDonald shooting in October 2014 shows the 17-year-old, armed with a knife, approaching police cars in the street before veering away from officers who had their guns trained on him.

The officer continued shooting after the teenager fell to the ground and stopped moving.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy on the same day the video was released.

In announcing McCarthy’s resignation, Emanuel said he had formed a five-person task force to oversee police accountability.

But demonstrations persist, like one organized Sunday by civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. Van Dyke was charged with first degree murder by Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez last month, just before the harrowing video’s release was compelled by a court order. Though negotiations have dragged on for months, federal officials said they are making progress and hope to reach an agreement with the city, forestalling a federal lawsuit. “We can not trust them”.

Emanuel’s shift in position about a federal investigation comes after 2016 Democratic presidential Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign said she was “deeply troubled” by the McDonald shooting and supports a federal probe of Chicago’s police department.

“Our mutual goal is to create a stronger, better Police Department that keeps the community safe while respecting the civil rights of ever Chicagoan”, he said in a statement.

The investigation into the department’s policies and practices will likely focus on the use of deadly force by Chicago officers as well as training and community engagement. The officer has been charged with murder and the city’s police chief was forced to resign. He says that when they’ve found technical problems preventing them from working they are disciplining officers who did not report those problems to their supervisors. Emanuel’s administration released the video only after a judge ordered the city to make it public.

Police reports on the shooting released on Friday differ wildly from the dashcam video footage.

The department claimed McDonald, who was said to be under the influence of PCP, pointed a three-inch knife towards the police officers in an aggressive matter. Lynch said the civil rights probe would be a separate investigation. Lynch said her investigators will work with the community and police. Hours later, Chicago police release the video, sparking several days of protests.

“Chicago is facing a defining moment on the issues of crime and policing and the even larger issues of truth and justice”, Emanuel wrote. “We need this opening up and understanding the situation in great detail”.

In examining that comment made by Lynch, Rob Wildeboer, senior editor for WBEZ Chicago, says it’s important to read between the lines. Former prosecutor Ron Safer said the investigation will focus on systematic patterns, not a single case.