Justice Dept. launches civil rights investigation of Chicago police

Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday launched a federal civil rights investigation into the Chicago Police Department amid public outcry over the shooting of a black teenager. 

Lynch said that federal authorities would investigate the existence of any “racial, ethnic and other disparities” involving the Chicago Police Department, including how officers are disciplined.

{mosads}”Regardless of the findings in this investigation, we will seek to work with local officials, residents and law enforcement officers alike to ensure that the people of Chicago have the world-class police department they deserve,” she said in a statement.  

The announcement of the probe comes less than a week after Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) fired Garry McCarthy, the city’s police superintendent, after mounting scrutiny surrounding the case of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old shot by a white police officer in October 2014. 

Dashcam video of the shooting was released Nov. 24. Officer Jason Van Dyke, who fired 16 rounds at the teenager, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Lynch said Monday that the investigation was meant not to “focus on individuals, but improve systems,” saying it would look at the “use of force and accountability within the police department.”

The Department of Justice has launched a number of federal probes into police departments over the past year after a string of high-profile police shootings of African-Americans.