Chicago Police Superintendent McCarthy Fired
In this Nov. 24, 2015 file photo, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, right, speaks about first-degree murder charges against police officer Jason Van Dyke in the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel looks on at left. Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has fired the city's police chief after a public outcry over the handling of the case of a black teenager shot 16 times by a white police officer.
Emanuel announced at a news conference Tuesday that he has dismissed Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who only days ago insisted to reporters that the mayor had his "back.''
Protesters have been calling for McCarthy's dismissal for days in response to the handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting. The black 17-year-old was shot 16 times by a white police officer in October 2014.
The city released police dashcam video of the shooting only after a judge ordered it to be made public. Its release last week set off several days of largely peaceful protests. Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder. McCarthy has been chief since May 2011.
Chief of Detectives John Escalante will oversee the police department in the interim. Emanuel praised McCarthy's leadership, but he called it an "undeniable fact'' that the public's trust in the police has been eroded. Emanuel said, "Now is the time for fresh eyes and leadership.''
The mayor wants the next chief to guard public safety while restoring trust between the community and the police.
Meanwhile, he's tapped high-profile leaders for the newly created Task Force on Police Accountability. The mayor's office said in a Tuesday news release that former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who is a Chicago native, will be a senior adviser for the panel.
The former director of the Illinois State Police, Hiram Grau, will be a member, along with Chicago Police Board president Lori Lightfoot.