By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/chicago-mayor-rahm-emanuel-fires-police-superintendent Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fires police superintendent Nation Dec 1, 2015 1:08 PM EDT A week after a video of a white Chicago police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times was released to the public, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired the city’s police chief Tuesday. Emanuel said he formally asked for the resignation of police of Superintendent Garry McCarthy on Tuesday over the department’s handling of the Oct. 14, 2014, fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Officer Jason Van Dyke faces a first-degree murder charge. In a news conference Tuesday, Emanuel told reporters that he talked with McCarthy, 56, about the direction of the department and the “undeniable fact that the public trust and the leadership of the department has been shaken and eroded.” Emanuel said following McCarthy’s dismissal, the city will work with a new task force that has been created to improve oversight and accountability of the Chicago Police Department. Chicago native and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will be a senior adviser on the Task Force on Police Accountability panel and will include previous members of the Chicago Police Board. Emanuel told reporters that McDonald’s death, which sparked peaceful protests over excessive police force, “requires more than just words.” Emanuel hired McCarthy in 2011. In an editorial published earlier today, the Chicago Sun-Times had called for McCarthy’s ouster. “McCarthy’s resignation is an essential first step for a city that must pursue new strategies to curtail gun violence and reform an unhealthy police culture of weak accountability. McCarthy has been superintendent for four years — longer than all but one of his predecessors. He has played his hand. It is time Mayor Emanuel brought in somebody new. The Sun-Times also said there have been previous calls for McCarthy’s dismissal, specifically from Chicago City Council’s Black Caucus who have criticized the former police chief’s lack of transparency amid a rise in gun violence in the city. First Deputy Supt. John Escalante will be the acting superintendent. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He's also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
A week after a video of a white Chicago police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times was released to the public, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired the city’s police chief Tuesday. Emanuel said he formally asked for the resignation of police of Superintendent Garry McCarthy on Tuesday over the department’s handling of the Oct. 14, 2014, fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Officer Jason Van Dyke faces a first-degree murder charge. In a news conference Tuesday, Emanuel told reporters that he talked with McCarthy, 56, about the direction of the department and the “undeniable fact that the public trust and the leadership of the department has been shaken and eroded.” Emanuel said following McCarthy’s dismissal, the city will work with a new task force that has been created to improve oversight and accountability of the Chicago Police Department. Chicago native and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will be a senior adviser on the Task Force on Police Accountability panel and will include previous members of the Chicago Police Board. Emanuel told reporters that McDonald’s death, which sparked peaceful protests over excessive police force, “requires more than just words.” Emanuel hired McCarthy in 2011. In an editorial published earlier today, the Chicago Sun-Times had called for McCarthy’s ouster. “McCarthy’s resignation is an essential first step for a city that must pursue new strategies to curtail gun violence and reform an unhealthy police culture of weak accountability. McCarthy has been superintendent for four years — longer than all but one of his predecessors. He has played his hand. It is time Mayor Emanuel brought in somebody new. The Sun-Times also said there have been previous calls for McCarthy’s dismissal, specifically from Chicago City Council’s Black Caucus who have criticized the former police chief’s lack of transparency amid a rise in gun violence in the city. First Deputy Supt. John Escalante will be the acting superintendent. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now