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U.S. NEWS A5
Thursday 10 December 2015
Chicago mayor apologizes for 2014 shooting, vows reforms
DON BABWIN it happened on my watch. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks during a special City Council meeting that he called to
Associated Press And if we’re going to fix it discuss a police abuse scandal Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, in Chicago. Emanuel apologized for
CHICAGO (AP) — Chica- I want you to understand the 2014 shooting of a black teenager Wednesday during the special City Council meeting and
go Mayor Rahm Emanuel it’s my responsibility with promised “complete and total” reform to restore trust in the police.
apologized for the 2014 you,” Emanuel said. “But if
shooting of a black teen- we’re also going to begin (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
ager Wednesday during a the healing process, the
special City Council meet- first step in that journey is seemed to be another is- federal probe of the de- parity in the police depart-
ing and promised a “com- my step. sue, including the release partment would be “mis- ment’s use of force.
plete and total” reform to “And I’m sorry.” of hundreds of pages of guided” because the U.S. Emanuel then said the city
restore trust in the police. His voice cracked as he documents that show po- Attorney’s office was al- would stop fighting the re-
But his emotional speech spoke about families who lice had described in their ready examining the Mc- lease of a second video
didn’t stop hundreds of have lost children to the reports a far more threat- Donald shooting, Emanuel that showed a police offi-
people from taking part in city’s violence. ening McDonald than the later said he welcomed cer shooting a man in the
a midday protest down- The McDonald footage teen shown to the city and such an investigation. back.
town, chanting “16 shots — ordered to be released the world on video. On Monday, U.S. Attorney
and a cover-up” in refer- by a judge last month and The situation became so General Loretta Lynch an- That video was released
ence to the release of a made public hours after volatile that Emanuel was nounced a Justice Depart- Monday during a presenta-
video showing white Offi- Van Dyke was charged — forced to do something ment civil rights investiga- tion in which Cook County
cer Jason Van Dyke shoot- set off a chain of events he rarely does: backtrack. tion to determine if there State’s Attorney Anita Al-
ing 17-year-old Laquan that captured the atten- After initially saying that a are patterns of racial dis- varez said she would not
McDonald, who appeared tion of the country. charge the officer. q
in the footage to be walk- Days of protests and
ing away. Van Dyke is marches followed, includ-
charged with first-degree ing one on the busiest
murder. shopping day of the year
Emanuel, a former top that partially shut down the
aide in the Obama admin- city’s most famous shop-
istration, criticized the po- ping district, Michigan Av-
lice department for being enue.
quick to shoot, saying the A few days later, Emanuel
department’s “supervision announced that he had
and leadership” had failed. demanded and received
The problems have led to the resignation of Police
intervention by the U.S. De- Superintendent Garry Mc-
partment of Justice, which Carthy, created a new task
announced a far-reaching force for police account-
civil rights investigation of ability and expanded
the department this week. the use of body cameras.
“I take responsibility for But the anger did not sub-
what happened because side, and every day there
Planned Parenthood suspect: ‘I am warrior for the babies’
SADIE GURMAN with first-degree murder man asked at least one One of his three ex-wives, Killed in the attack were
Associated Press and other counts in a Colo- person in a nearby shop- Barbara Mescher Micheau Garrett Swasey, 44, a
COLORADO SPRINGS, Col- rado Springs courtroom. ping center for directions of South Carolina said he University of Colorado-
orado (AP) — The man Police have declined to to the clinic before open- vandalized a South Caro- Colorado Springs officer
accused of killing three discuss a potential motive ing fire. lina abortion clinic at least who rushed to the scene;
people and wounding in the Nov. 27 attack, but The official was not autho- 20 years earlier, announc- Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, an
nine others at a Planned there had been mounting rized to publicly discuss the ing to her that he had put Iraq war veteran who was
Parenthood clinic in Colo- evidence to suggest Dear investigation and spoke this glue in the locks of its doors, accompanying someone
rado stunned a courtroom was deeply concerned week to The Associated a common protest tech- at the clinic; and Jennifer
Wednesday by declaring about abortion. Press on condition of ano- nique among activists try- Markovsky, 35, who also
he is a “warrior for the ba- He rambled to authori- nymity. ing to shut down abortion accompanied a friend at
bies” and won’t go to trial. ties about “no more baby Dear has lived in remote clinics. the clinic.
Robert Lewis Dear, 57, parts” after his arrest. And locations without electricity A first-degree murder con- Five other officers were
made the outburst before a law enforcement official or water and was known to viction can lead to life in shot and wounded in the
he was formally charged said this week that the gun- hold survivalist ideas. prison or the death penalty. rampage.q
