Four Chicago police officers have been fired over their alleged cover-up of the 2014 fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, 17, by former officer Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke was convicted of murder for the shooting.

The four former officers were accused of making false statements about the shooting, which took place on the night of Oct. 20, 2014. Van Dkye, who fired 16 shots at McDonald in a span of 15 seconds, was convicted by a jury last year of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.

The Chicago Police Board voted on Thursday to discharge Sgt. Stephen Franko and officers Janet Modragon, Daphne Sebastian and Ricardo Viramontes, ABC reports. They have the right to appeal the decision, which went into effect immediately.

"The department is bound by the decision of the board," Chicago Police Department spokesman Thomas Ahern told ABC News in a statement Thursday night. "The affected members have further options they may exercise if they so choose."

The Chicago police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, lambasted the board's ruling, saying it will "no doubt lead to more violence in the city and quite likely more violence against the police."