There has been a lot of drama surrounding the shooting death of Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officers. From the dash cam footage, to the Burger King’s surveillance footage that was reportedly erased, there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered.
Since the incident, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been met with a lot of criticism and he’s taken time out to publicly apologize. In his 40-minute speech to the City Council on Wednesday, Emanuel says, “We are here today because Chicago is facing a defining moment on the issues of crime and policing, and the even larger issues of truth, justice and race. We can either be defined by what we have failed to do — or what we choose to do.”
Mayor Emanuel also condemned the police force “code of silence” that encouraged coverups, saying the city needs “better oversight of our police officers.”
Citizens of Chicago aren’t exactly drinking the koolaid as far as Mayor Emanuel is concerned. According to reports, the mayor has signed off on millions of dollars in police brutality settlements and has defended the police department’s practices in the past.
Emanuel does promise to take responsibility, however. Apologizing for McDonald’s death because it happened on his watch. He even got emotional at times during his speech.
“If we’re going to fix it, I want you to understand it’s my responsibility with you,” Emanuel said. “But if we’re going to begin the healing process, the first step in that journey is my step, and I’m sorry.”
“Nothing, nothing can excuse what happened to Laquan McDonald,” Emanuel said. “Our city has been down this road before. We have seen fatal police shootings and other forms of abuse and corruption. We took corrective measures, but those measures never measured up to the challenge.”
