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Read the press release here.

Madigan Seeks Federal Probe: 'Trust in the Chicago Police Dept. Is Broken"

By Tanveer Ali | December 1, 2015 5:40pm | Updated on December 1, 2015 5:45pm
 Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Attorney General Lisa Madigan
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Joshua Lott/Getty Images

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Chicago Police Department's practices, saying "trust in the Chicago Police Department is broken."

The call for investigation comes the same day Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired Police Supt. Garry McCarthy and a week after the release of a dashcam video showing an officer fatally shoot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times.

Madigan's office says she wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta for "an investigation into the Chicago Police Department’s use of force, including deadly force; the adequacy of its review and investigation of officers’ use of force and investigation of allegations of misconduct; its provision of training, equipment and supervision of officers to allow them to do their job safely and effectively; and whether there exists a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing."

Madigan said the investigation by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is necessary given its track record, including its work prosecuting former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge for his torture practice.
Here is Madigan's full statement:

“The shocking death of Laquan McDonald is the latest tragedy in our city that highlights serious questions about the use of unlawful and excessive force by Chicago police officers and the lack of accountability for such abuse. Trust in the Chicago Police Department is broken. Chicago cannot move ahead and rebuild trust between the police and the community without an outside, independent investigation into its police department to improve policing practices. I know the vast majority of officers in the Chicago Police Department serve with bravery, honor and integrity. The children in all of Chicago’s communities deserve to grow up in a city in which they are protected and served by the police.”

Last Tuesday, U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed it was looking into the shooting, but did not give details as to what it was looking into.

"On April 13, 2015, this Office announced a joint federal and state investigation into the October 20, 2014, fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. Both before and since that announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners have been conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the shooting. The federal investigation of the shooting remains active and ongoing."

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