Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson recommended Thursday that seven officers be fired for their roles in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, the Chicago Tribune reports. According to the AP, the officers are accused of violating Rule 14 against making false reports. Video released of the October 2014 shooting of McDonald shows McDonald holding a knife and walking away from officers prior to the shooting. Regardless, multiple officers at the scene reported that McDonald was walking threateningly toward them, and one officer even claimed McDonald swung the knife at them. The officers are accused of attempting to cover up what actually happened. Jason Van Dyke, the officer who shot McDonald 16 times, has been since charged with murder.
In addition to recommending the seven officers be fired, Johnson also took away their police powers. "These decisions were not made lightly," Johnson wrote in an email to police Thursday. "Each officer will have their right to due process." The ultimate fate of the seven officers will be decided by the Chicago Police Board, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Earlier this week, a report from the inspector general recommended firing 10 officers, but Johnson decided there wasn't enough evidence against one. Two others had already retired. The inspector general will now investigate police brass and why the officers caught making false reports weren't put on desk duty pending investigation. (More Laquan McDonald stories.)
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