WASHINGTON – Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Monday the Justice Department civil pattern or practice probe of the Chicago Police Department will focus on the police use of force, racial bias and its systems of accountability.
Lynch said the investigation will review in part the department’s use of force and deadly force, how any violations and misconduct allegations are investigated, how officers are disciplined and whether there is any racial or ethnic disparity in how those matters are handled.
“When community members feel that they are not receiving that kind of policing, when they feel ignored, let down or mistreated by public safety officials, there are profound consequences for the wellbeing of their communities, there are profound consequences for the rule of law and for the countless law enforcement officers who strive to fulfill their duties with professionalism and integrity,” Lynch said.
Without mentioning the Chicago protests that were sparked by the release of the Laquan McDonald police shooting video, Lynch added, “we understand that the same systems that fail community members also fail conscientious officers, by creating mistrust between law enforcement and the citizens that we are sworn to serve and protect.
“This mistrust from members of the community makes it more difficult to gain help within investigations, to encourage the victims and the witnesses of crime to speak up and to fulfill the most basic responsibilities of public safety officials. And when suspicion and hostility is allowed to fester, it can erupt into unrest. And when suspicion and hostility is allowed to fester, it can erupt into unrest. Building trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve is one of my highest priorities as Attorney General.”
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Text of Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s remarks
Lynch said the review will be a joint effort between the Washington-based Civil Rights Division and personnel in the U.S. Attorney office in Chicago, headed by Zachary Fardon.
Fardon and the chief of the Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta, also flanked Lynch at the press conference in the Justice Department.
The investigation, which could take months or longer, will seek input from “a broad cross section” of community members, city officials, law enforcement brass and rank-and-file, policy and data experts and “anyone who wishes to share information relevant to the investigation,” Lynch said.
The results of the probe will be made public and if “unconstitutional patterns or practices” are discovered, the Justice Department will seek an agreement with Chicago that will be enforced by a federal court order.
The announcement comes after the City of Chicago released a police dashcam video showing a Chicago police officer shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014.
The video sparked large protests and calls for the resignations of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Alvarez faces criticism for taking 13 months to charge Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke with the murder of McDonald. Emanuel has been blasted for his administration’s opposition to releasing the video for months, reversing its position only after a judge ordered its release.
Asked about when a separate, ongoing joint state-federal probe of the McDonald shooting would be complete, Lynch said she could not offer a timetable. “Those investigations are thorough, they are independent, they are impartial.
“We review the relevant federal statute statutes, which are of course, a different set of statutes from what the state’s attorney has at their disposal. And we are thorough and efficient in ours. We don’t predict the timing of any of those investigations. So I’m not able to give you that particular answer.”
When asked about police officers filing police reports that differ radically from what a police dashcam video showed happened at the Laquan McDonald shooting, Lynch and Fardon said they could not really comment.
“What I can tell you is all the information will be factored into the federal investigation. We don’t comment on the evidence while that investigation is ongoing for obvious reasons, but all of that information is factored into that and I’m not able to give you any more comments on that at this time,” Lynch said.
Emanuel initially called the federal civil rights investigation “misguided” before reversing field when it became abundantly clear that he couldn’t stop it. The mayor said, “I own the confusion” about his earlier opposition.
On Monday, while Lynch was still speaking, the mayor reiterated that he welcomes the investigation and pledged the city’s “complete” cooperation.
“Our mutual goal is to create a stronger, better Police Department that keeps the community safe while respecting the civil rights of every Chicagoan,” the mayor said in an emailed statement.
“Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of our residents and ensuring that the men and women of our Police Department have the tools, resources and training they need to be effective crime fighters, stay safe, and build community trust.”
Emanuel has scheduled a 3 p.m. City Hall news conference to comment on the day’s developments.
Afterwards, City Hall is expected to release the Ronald Johnson shooting video. Johnson was shot and killed by Chicago police in 2014. Police said he had a gun, but his family disputes that and has filed a lawsuit. Like the McDonald case, City Hall initially opposed releasing the police dashcam video of the Johnson shooting but reversed course after coming under immense public pressure.
Later this morning, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said her office will hold a news conference to discuss its findings of its investigation of the Johnson shooting.
Contributing: Fran Spielman