McCarthy tests our memory of Chicago police cover-up

My recollection of the police cover-up in the shooting of Laquan McDonald is apparently terrible.

That explains why Rahm Emanuel is still the mayor, former police Supt. Garry McCarthy believes he ought to be elected mayor and Eddie Johnson now reigns as police superintendent.

I once thought that nearly a dozen Chicago police officers lied about what they saw on the night of Oct. 20, 2014, when McDonald was shot 16 times by police officer Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke said he was in fear of his life.

Video of the incident shows McDonald walking away from Van Dyke holding a knife at his side. McDonald falls to the ground after the first shot. He is then shot repeatedly.

There was public outrage over the incident once that video was released, over the objections of Emanuel and the city corporation counsel’s office.

My recollection is that before the video was released, Van Dyke’s story was supported by the Emanuel administration and police brass, but I could be wrong. I certainly don’t remember any senior police supervisor suggesting that Van Dyke and all the police officers on the scene that night had lied, although they had access to the tape.

An inspector general’s report indicated that police gave false statements about what they saw. My recollection is he recommended firing a number of those officers, including supervisors who backed up their men.

A grand jury eventually indicted three police officers, but not the top brass.

Emanuel would eventually fire McCarthy and promote Johnson, who was involved in the official review of the incident and whose memory seems different than some of the officers involved.

As for McDonald, the victim, he seemed mentally unstable on the night of the shooting. He refused to respond to repeated requests to put down his weapon and surrender. He slashed a car tire when confronted by police.

With police surrounding McDonald, Van Dyke’s squad car pulled up, he jumped out and immediately unloaded his weapon into the suspect. He was about to reload when he was stopped by his partner.

At least that’s the way I remember it on the video.

The night McDonald was shot to death, a police officer made a radio call for a Taser unit. There were cops and squad cars all over the place, but none of them had a Taser, which would have given them the option of using non-lethal force. Van Dyke would never have had to use his gun. McDonald’s life could have been saved. There would have been no need for a massive police cover-up.

The fact is there were very few Tasers available to police in Chicago at the time and few of them were trained in their use.

McCarthy was the police superintendent. He was responsible. That was my thought at the time.

McCarthy now claims he was not at fault and was the victim of a witch hunt, a scapegoat for City Hall.

He is proud of his record. He contends he is a leader Chicago can trust.

If only that video had never been released, those police officers could have gotten away with their story that Van Dyke was justified in his use for deadly force, police supervisors would have gotten away with their cover-up and McCarthy could have remained a big shot.

The entire event could have been wiped from our memories and the record rewritten.

But the only one who seems to have forgotten he was in charge during one of the most shameful periods in police history is McCarthy. I think voters will remind him that their memories, like that video, cannot be changed.

Email: philkadner@gmail.com

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