Aldermen To Hold Public Hearing On Laquan McDonald Case
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Aldermen plan to take their own look at the problems swirling around the Chicago Police Department at a public hearing scheduled for next week.
The Public Safety Committee and Human Relations Committee have scheduled a joint meeting for Tuesday at City Hall. The agenda includes a public hearing on the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, and a call for the appointment of a special prosecutor to represent Cook County in the murder case against Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot McDonald 16 times last year.
Aldermen also will discuss the need for a review of the Police Department's practices and procedures, as well as possible reforms in the wake of the McDonald shooting scandal.
Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30th), who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said he wants to hear from police officials, the Cook County State's Attorney's office, the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, the Independent Police Review Authority, and a Northwestern University legal expert.
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The alderman first mentioned a public hearing regarding the McDonald case on Wednesday, after Mayor Rahm Emanuel apologized for how the city handled the case, and City Council members discussed their own responsibilities.
"We will convene a hearing here in City Council, requested by the Latino Caucus, which focuses on police accountability," he said Wednesday.
The agenda for the meeting also includes possibly setting public hearings to meet with the mayor's recently appointed Task Force on Police Accountability, which is reviewing the department's methods of training and oversight. The panel must present its findings to the City Council by the end of March.
