Sources: Axe Could Fall On Several Chicago Cops In Laquan McDonald Case
(CBS) -- As many as nine Chicago police officers could be disciplined or fired, in the latest fallout from the fatal police-involved shooting of Laquan McDonald.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.
Sources say Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson is wrapping up his investigation and could recommend as many as five patrolman, three detectives and a sergeant be suspended or lose their badges.
Jason Van Dyke -- the white officer who fatally shot the black teen 16 times and is facing a murder charge -- is not part of the group, sources say.
The officers could be suspended or fired for their role in the alleged cover-up, providing or approving accounts that differed from what was captured on a now widely seen dashboard camera video.
"Everyone keeps their mouth shut," Civil rights attorney James Montgomery Jr. says.
"They're protecting they're own. They're protecting themselves. They're protecting the department."
But Montgomery says Ferguson's findings could signal a new beginning.
"It's not the only thing that needs to be done, but certainly if you're going to restore public confidence this is where you start," he says.
Ferguson doesn't typically review police shootings. The Independent Police Review Authority asked him to investigate.
Police Supt. Eddie Johnson and perhaps the police board will have the final say on what happens to the officers.
A police department spokesperson said he had no comment.
