An officer with the Chicago Police Department was struck by a vehicle as a motorist reportedly attempted to flee a traffic stop in the very early hours of Thursday morning.
“You know, there were rumors floating around about — and I didn’t verify this — but rumors floating around that they were telling their officers, ‘Don’t do anything. Over Memorial Day weekend, don’t intercede,’” Lightfoot said on CAN-TV’s “Chicago Newsroom” program.
The officer—identified as 44-year-old Eric Concialdi—was found in his West Side home in the early afternoon.
"Chicago’s agreement with the ACLU in late 2015 dramatically undercut proactive policing in the city … with homicides increasing more than 57 percent the very next year," Sessions said in the statement.
Van Dyke’s attorney has vowed to appeal the conviction to a higher court, a process that would begin after sentencing. Daniel Herbert has said in interviews that one of the reasons he filed so many pretrial motions was to preserve issues for an appeal if Van Dyke were convicted.
Three people have been charged with attacking a trio of Chicago police officers and locking them inside a South Side Englewood neighborhood home Monday afternoon, according to FOX News Chicago.
Van Dyke, 40, was charged with first-degree murder, official misconduct and aggravated battery in the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting of McDonald, who was shot 16 times. Jurors were told Thursday they have the option of convicting Van Dyke of second-degree murder, which is probationable.
Following the deaths by suicide of three Chicago police officers, the department is looking at ways to more successfully address mental and emotional health of its officers.
A judge has cleared 18 more men of drug convictions that resulted from investigations by a reportedly corrupt sergeant with the Chicago Police Department.
Former Chicago Bears star running back Matt Forte recently did a ridealong with Chicago police on the streets of South Side Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood. The department posted a seven minute video to Facebook, chronicling Forte's experience during the day-shift ridealong.