Chicago to arm cops with Tasers
Every police officer on the beat will be trained and armed with a Taser by June as part of a “major overhaul” of the Chicago Police Department’s lethal 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 on the street. That effort, he said, is crucial to rebuilding public trust.
“Force will be the last option, not the first choice,” Emanuel said at a news conference. “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. Other changes include a minimum 30day desk assignment for officers involved in shootings, up from three days.
The department, with more than 12,000 officers, has faced withering criticism in recent months. On Oct. 12, 2014, Ronald Johnson, 25, was fatally shot in the back by an officer; the shooting drew a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the Johnson family. Eight days later, black teen Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times by officer Jason Van Dyke, who pleaded not guilty Tuesday to six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official 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. Fallout from the case led to the firing Dec. 1 of then-police superintendent Garry McCarthy.
Ira Acree, a local activist and pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, expressed frustration 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.”
“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.