Listen Live
Power 107.5 Featured Video
CLOSE

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Tuesday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Chicago Police Department, a request that came on the same day Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was fired by the city’s mayor.

Madigan’s ask comes in the wake of week-long protests also calling for an investigation into the department and the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager who was shot 16 times by a White police officer last year. Delayed release of dash-cam video showing the incident sparked calls for the resignation of both Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Madigan asked the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division to determine if the department’s practices violate federal law.

“The shocking death of Laquan McDonald is the latest tragedy in our city that highlights serious questions about the use of unlawful and excessive force by Chicago police officers and the lack of accountability for such abuse,” Madigan said in a statement. “Trust in the Chicago Police Department is broken.”

The Justice Department has yet to respond.

Jason Van Dyke, the police officer charged with first-degree murder in McDonald’s death, posted 10 percent of his $1.5 million bond earlier this week.

SOURCE: NBC News | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

SEE ALSO:

Chicago Officer Jason Van Dyke Pleads Not Guilty In Laquan McDonald Death, $1.5 Million Bond Set

Officers Involved In Tamir Rice Shooting Release Statements, Believed 12-Year-Old Was A “Real & Active” Threat

Illinois AG To DOJ: Investigate The Chicago Police Department  was originally published on newsone.com