“Everything changes after today” – Chicago moves forward after historic Van Dyke verdict
By Javanna Plummer and Becky Dernbach Medill Reports Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a “statement of interest” Friday opposing a consent decree to reform the Chicago Police Department, one week after the conviction of white police officer Jason Van Dyke for second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in the 2014 death of black teenager […]
Van Dyke suggested shooting McDonald before arriving on scene
By Becky Dernbach Medill Reports A defense witness revealed this week that Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was talking about shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald before he ever saw him. “Why don’t they shoot him if he’s attacking them?” Van Dyke asked when he first heard the radio reports that McDonald had popped a squad […]
Unlike Trump, Sanders’ Chicago rally gave peace a chance
By Caroline Kenny Despite four-hour lines and thousands of supporters being turned away, the Bernie Sanders rally on Monday night was a much more peaceful event than a Donald Trump rally that shook Chicago on Friday night. Speaking at the Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Theatre in the Loop just eight hours before polls opened, Sanders invoked […]
Coalition calls for special prosecutor in Jason Van Dyke murder case
By Aryn Braun and Misha Euceph Video by Kierra Gray In a petition filed this morning, 27 interested parties called for a special prosecutor in the trial of police officer Jason Van Dyke, citing Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s close ties to the Fraternal Order of Police as a “conflict of interest.” The petitioners, […]
Urban League panel works out community trust issues
By Thomas Vogel Video by Hannah Gebresilassie Police tactics, mental-health awareness and youth engagement were top concerns for a panel of community leaders, government officials and media personalities assembled Tuesday for a community forum at the South Side headquarters of the Urban League of Chicago. [vimeo 155727836 w=474] Representatives from Chicago Police Department, community leaders […]
State’s attorney race: Alvarez ally defects to Foxx
By Thomas Vogel and Aryn Braun Kim Foxx’s quest to unseat Anita Alvarez as Cook County State’s Attorney got a big boost Tuesday as U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) pledged his support. “There’s a lot of distrust, mistrust out there,” Gutierrez said. “We need to heal that.” Citing lack of transparency in the controversial Laquan McDonald […]
Chicago ministers say no to King breakfast with the mayor
By Hannah Gebresilassie Who wants breakfast? Not ministers and activists in Chicago. In light of the controversy surrounding the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and Cedrick Chatman, also 17, religious leaders say they will join activists in a protest on Friday morning outside of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s planned private commemorative breakfast of Dr. Martin […]
Foxx wins key endorsement from Cook County Dems, tightening state’s attorney race
By Max Greenwood Kim Foxx, the former chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle running for state’s attorney, won a key ally in the Cook County Democratic Party on Thursday, five months after the party said it wouldn’t endorse a candidate for the office. The endorsement could pose a significant challenge for […]
More touts outsider status, slams Alvarez, at campaign kickoff
By Max Greenwood and Thomas Vogel A former federal prosecutor running for Cook County’s top attorney job called for more steadfast investigation and prosecution of police-involved shootings Wednesday, and criticized State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s handling of the 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Donna More kicked off her campaign at a Michigan Avenue hotel […]
