Chicago police chief calls for firing of seven officers

Superintendant Eddie Johnson said on Thursday that he was following the recommendation by the Chicago attorney general to fire the seven police officers, after a review of documents and videos showed they likely filed false reports.

The case dates back to 2014, when a 17-year-old black youth named Laquan McDonald was killed after a white police officer named Jason Van Dyke shot him 16 times. Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in November 2015.

The seven police officers in question - they haven't been named - were colleagues of Van Dyke's who were accused of filing false reports meant to cover up the shooting. There were three other police officers involved who have not been penalized.

Breaking the 'code of silence'

The officers have been accused of violating a rule that prohibits members of the police force from filing false reports. The final decision regarding their fate will be made later, after Johnson takes his recommendation to the city's police board.

For critics of Chicago's police force, the superintendant's announcement was a significant step toward breaking the department's code of silence regarding police brutality.

In December, the Justice Department launched a civil rights probe into the killing. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the investiation was intended to expose the use of force within the Chicago police department.

blc/kl (AP, AFP)