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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel(Photo: AP)
Every<span style="color: Red;">*</span>police officer on the beat will be trained and armed with a Taser by June as part of a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"major overhaul" of the Chicago Police Department's lethal<span style="color: Red;">*</span>force policy unveiled Wednesday by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel, who has been under fire after a series of fatal shootings by officers, said the Taser program is part of a larger effort to de-escalate confrontations between officers and suspects they encounter<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on the street. Public trust has been broken, he said, and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>rebuilding it is crucial.
"Force will be the last option, not the first choice," Emanuel said at a City Hall news conference.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Just because you train to use force, doesn't mean you should."
Emanuel said the number of department Tasers will be doubled, to 1,400, to ensure that every car on patrol has one.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Other changes include<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a minimum 30-day desk assignment for officers involved in shootings, up from three days. Police Superintendent John Escalante said the extra time will allow for deeper psychological evaluation of the officer and for a more thorough investigation of the incident.
Emanuel noted that officers have always stressed getting home safely after a shift on patrol. But the welfare of city residents is just as important, he said.
"The goal is to ensure that everyone gets home safely," he said.
USA TODAY
Chicago officer pleads not guilty in black teen's death
The department, with more than 12,000 officers, has faced<span style="color: Red;">*</span>withering criticism in recent months for a series of fatal shootings. On Oct. 12, 2014,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Ronald Johnson, 25, was fatally shot in the back by an officer; the shooting drew<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the Johnson family. Eight days later, black teen Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times by<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Officer Jason Van Dyke, who pleaded not guilty Tuesday to six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official<span style="color: Red;">*</span>misconduct.
Emanuel has faced calls for his resignation during near daily protests in the city since video of the McDonald shooting was released last month.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Fallout from the case led to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the firing Dec. 1 of then-police superintendent<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Garry McCarthy.
On Monday, the father of another teen fatally shot by a Chicago police officer<span style="color: Red;">*</span>filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Quintonio LeGrier, 19, and Bettie Jones, 55, were killed Saturday by a police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Antonio LeGrier, claims the younger LeGrier was unarmed and never posed a threat to officers.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Police have said LeGrier was combative and that Jones was shot by accident.
On Wednesday, Escalante called the shootings a "tragic accident," but noted that the Independent Police Review Authority was still investigating. And Escalante said he didn't know if changes underway in the department would have resulted in a different outcome that day.
The Rev. Ira Acree, a local activist and pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, expressed frustration<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at the behavior of the police department, citing a "corrupt, no-snitching environment." He told USA TODAY that residents have lost faith in Emanuel, describing some of his recent efforts at conciliation as "political theater."
"This<span style="color: Red;">*</span>community is under siege, and the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>police department has two sets of rules, one for blacks and one for whites," Acree said. "It's not just as simple as 'Let's put Tasers on police officers.' But because of the erosion of trust in the community, he's always in a reactionary mode."
Acree said people in some communities are at "rock bottom" due to fear.
"Now we have to watch out for gang bangers and the gang bangers who masquerade as police," he said. "It's imperative that he (Emanuel)<span style="color: Red;">*</span>get people with boots on the ground to provide input, not just hold<span style="color: Red;">*</span>community meetings where his PR team comes in and he acts like he's hearing us. We've seen that act before."
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