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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2016)
February 10, 2016 The Skanner Page 9 News Critics Contend a Code of Silence Keeps Police from Disclosing Peers’ Abuses CHICAGO — For more than a year aft er an of- fi cer shot and killed a Black teen named Laquan McDonald, the Chicago Police Department had video footage that raised serious doubts about whether other offi cers at the scene tried in their reports to cover up what prosecutors now con- tend was murder. Not until 15 months lat- er was one of those offi - cers and a detective who concluded the shooting was justifi ed put on desk duty. At least eight other offi cers failed to recount the same scene that un- folded on the video. All of them remain on the street, according to the department. The lack of swift action illustrates the diffi culty of confronting the “code of silence” that has long been associated with police in Chicago and elsewhere. The obsta- cles include disciplinary practices that prevent the police chief himself from fi ring problem offi - cers and a labor contract that prevents offi cers BRIAN JACKSON/CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP, FILE DON BABWIN Associated Press In this Dec. 29, 2015, fi le photo, Chicago Police Offi cer Jason Van Dyke leaves the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago after pleading not guilty to murder charges in the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. For more than a year after Van Dyke killed McDonald, the Chicago Police Department had video footage and autopsy results that raised serious questions about whether other offi cers on the scene tried in their reports to cover up what prosecutors now contend was murder. from being held account- able if a video surfaces that contradicts their tes- timony. “If they are not going to analyze offi cers’ re- ports and compare them to objective evidence like the video, why would the offi cers ever stop lying?” asked Craig Futterman, a University of Chica- go law professor who helped force the city to release the video. Of the eight offi cers, six said they did not see who fi red, and three depict- ed McDonald as more threatening than he appeared. One claimed the teen tried to get up with a knife still in his hand. The footage clearly showed him falling down and lying motionless on the pavement. Van Dyke, who emp- tied his entire 16-round magazine into McDon- We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people work- ing in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious be- liefs. ald, is now awaiting trial on fi rst-degree murder charges. He has been “ stop offi cers from lying to protect colleagues. Chicago isn’t the only major city where offi cers sworn to tell the truth are suspected of cover- ing for each other. In Los Angeles, three sheriff ’s deputies were convict- ed last year of beating a handcuff ed jail visitor and then trying to cover it up. In that case, a plea bargain with two former deputies helped prose- cutors expose what they said was a code of silence. The head of Chicago’s police union dismisses talk of a code. “It’s not 1954 anymore,” Dean Angelo said. “With cameras everywhere, in squad cars, on everyone’s cellphone ... offi cers ar- en’t going to make a con- scious eff ort to engage in conduct that puts their own livelihoods at risk.” as lies. The code of silence also fi gured into another vid- eo: footage of off -duty offi cer Anthony Abbate pummeling a bartender. Offi cers who responded to the 911 call did not in- clude in their reports the bartender’s contention that she was attacked by an offi cer named Tony, according to testimony in federal court. A jury in 2012 awarded her $850,000 and concluded there was a code of si- lence. Like other police de- partments, Chicago’s police force has long in- sisted that it doesn’t tol- erate dishonesty. When allegations surface about offi cers lying in a report, they are stripped of their police powers and as- signed to desk duty pend- ing the outcome of an If they are not going to analyze offi cers’ re- ports and compare them to objective evidence like the video, why would the offi cers ever stop lying? suspended without pay while the department tries to fi re him. City offi cials say they are cracking down on tra- ditions associated with the code and even ques- tioning applicants for police superintendent about how they would But the scrutiny that followed McDonald’s death reveals a system that makes it diffi cult to fi re problem offi cers and reduces their pun- ishment or delays it for months or years aft er their reports are exposed Les Femmes Organization & Prospective Debutantes will host its Annual Pancake Breakfast Lloyd Center - 1439 NE Halsey St, 97232 on Saturday, February 27th from 8am – 11am Donation: $8.00 All proceeds to benefi t the program activities for the prospective debutantes. For More Information – Please Contact: Carmen Pettiford, Les Femmes President 503.830.5732 Les Femmes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. internal probe, depart- ment spokesman Antho- ny Guglielmi said. If the investigation de- termines the offi cer was, in fact, dishonest, the de- partment says it moves, without exception, to have that person fi red. However, unlike New York, Baltimore and oth- er cities, Chicago’s police superintendent cannot independently dismiss an offi cer. That decision belongs to the Chicago Police Board, whose nine civilian members are ap- pointed by the mayor. It is not unusual for the board to reject rec- ommendations of the superintendent and the city’s Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates police shoot- ings. That happened when former Superintendent Garry McCarthy recom- mended sergeant and a lieutenant be fi red for ly- ing in their reports about the accidental discharge See COPS on page 10 Constructing Hope Pre-Apprenticeship Program Empowering you to succeed through hands-on construction training, job placement, and career mentorship. 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