Seven Chicago cops to face firing over black teen Laquan McDonald's shooting death

Chicago: Chicago’s police chief said on Friday he was recommending the firing of seven officers accused of making false reports in the deadly cop shooting of a black teenager. [caption id=“attachment_2926024” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Black teenager Laquan McDonald was shot dead by a white policeman in Chicago last November. Reuters file image[/caption] A video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald’s 2014 shooting death sparked outrage and was one of several police shootings of African Americans that spurred street protests around the country. Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s decision to relieve the officers followed a review of documents, video and other evidence, his office said. The police officer’s statements related to the incident violate a rule that prohibits “making a false report, written or oral,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. “The officers have been relieved of their police powers.” Their final fate will be determined by a police oversight board appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Johnson recommended that the board fire them. The officer who shot McDonald 16 times, Jason Van Dyke, is awaiting trial on murder charges. The other officers corroborated Van Dyke’s story of the shooting, which was later contradicted by the released video. On the video, Van Dyke is seen shooting the teenager even as he appears to move away from police and after he falls to the ground. The city’s inspector general had recommended the firing of 10 officers, but two of them have since retired and Johnson disagreed with the recommendation to fire a third, saying “there is insufficient evidence to prove those respective allegations.”