Anita Alvarez, disgraced state's attorney in Cook County, Illinois, announced Thursday that she would request a special prosecutor in the Laquan McDonald case.
Laquan McDonald was walking away from police when he was shot in the back 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. The shooting occurred in October 2014 and was caught on dash cam video. Alvarez saw the recording weeks after the shooting, but declined to bring charges against Van Dyke until November 2015—only after she learned that the video would be released to the public.
Alvarez's decision to appoint a special prosecutor is unexpected, and is just the latest installment in what promises to be a long case with serious implications. From the Washington Post:
“While it has not been an easy decision, I believe that it is the right one because it will help to avoid unnecessary legal delays and provide continuity in the handling of this very important and complicated case,” Alvarez said in a statement. “It would also ensure that one designated prosecutor will handle this case as it proceeds to trial.”
Alvarez's troubling tenure as head prosecutor has been covered extensively over the last six months. It was the Laquan McDonald shooting, however, that led to a national outcry and county-wide pushback against Alvarez. In the midst of protests and criticisms, Alvarez refused to resign, apologize, or engage with protestors and grassroots groups. Her re-election bid was defeated by Kim Foxx in mid-March of this year.
According to the Post, Alvarez "felt it was responsible to turn things to a special prosecutor given her recent electoral loss and the reality that a new prosecutor will replace her."
The decision comes in the wake of additional concern regarding city law enforcement.
From the Post:
"the Chicago Police Department remains under a bright microscope since the video was released, as a task force assembled by Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) assailed the force recently for what it described as a miserable legacy of behavior toward minorities."
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