WASHINGTON - Chicago’s police chief has been dismissed after days of protest over a white officer’s shooting of an African-American teenager 16 times.
Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was ousted by city Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday over a lack of public trust in the police leadership as well as his department’s refusal to release a video of the shooting which happened last year. On November 24,  the video was finally released which showed the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by officer Jason Van Dyke on Oct. 20, 2014. The officer was charged with first-degree murder in the death of McDonald. The mayor decision to oust McCarthy was made after hundreds of demonstrators have held protests over the past few days, demanding the resignations of Mayor Emanuel, McCarthy and Cook County Prosecutor Anita Alvarez.
“Superintendent McCarthy knows that a police officer is only as effective as when he has the trust of those he serves,” Emanuel said at a City Hall news conference on Tuesday.
Emanuel said he discussed with McCarthy the future of the Police Department and “the undeniable fact that the public trust in the leadership of the department has been shaken and eroded,” adding “this morning, I formally asked for his resignation.” He also said that “there are systematic challenges that will require sustained reforms. It is a work in progress as we continue to build the confidence and the trust by the public in our police force.”