01 December 2015•Update: 05 December 2015
NEW YORK
The head of Chicago police has been fired amid protests about the way the city handled the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer, the city’s mayor confirmed Tuesday.
Rahm Emanuel told a news conference that he had asked for the resignation of Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, saying the "trust and the leadership of the department has been shaken and eroded".
Angry protests erupted in the city last week with the release of a police dashcam video showing officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times.
Protesters demanded McCarthy’s resignation citing concerns about rising homicides in the city.
"Now is the time for fresh eyes and new leadership to confront the challenges the department and our community and our city are facing as we go forward," said Emanuel, who up until the press conference had voiced support for McCarthy.
McDonald had been stopped by police in October 2014 for allegedly slashing car tires. The video capturing his death was released after a judge's ruling.
The video shows a group of police officers confronting McDonald as he walks on a street. Van Dyke opens fire on McDonald who is spun completely around from the force of at least one shot before he falls and lies motionless in the middle of the street. Van Dyke, who is the only officer to fire his weapon, continued to shoot.
Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder last week – more than a year after the shooting – but was freed Monday after paying a portion of his $1.5 million bail.
At least 406 homicides were recorded in Chicago in 2014 -- a figure that exceeds other major U.S. cities such as New York and Los Angeles.
McDonald's death is among a string of high-profile police-involved killings of black suspects that have stirred racial tensions and set off nationwide protests over perceived injustices within the U.S. justice system.
