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

Sanders Chicago

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

Hyatt Regency

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

Kim Foxx

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

DonnaMoreCampaignKickoff

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 […]