Just weeks after a video of a white Chicago police officer fatally shooting a black teenager was released, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to launch a sweeping investigation of the city's police department to determine if officers have demonstrated a pattern or practice of violating civil rights, according to a report in the Washington Post on Sunday.
The paper said the investigation could be announced this week.
Efforts to investigate and reform troubled police departments has been a signature effort of the Obama administration and have kept up since U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was appointed in April.
The probe in Chicago would follow growing protests over the death of Laquan McDonald, who was shot in 2014 by Officer Jason Van Dyke. Official reports of the incident appeared to differ from the video — such as claims that McDonald was menacing officers and moving toward them, when the video shows him walking away before being shot 16 times. The video was released after a judge's order.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel had initially resisted a federal investigation; however, the mayor backtracked and announced the chief was resigning and he would welcome a federal probe.
This is footage of the McDonald shooting (warning: the video is graphic):
The Justice Department was already investigating McDonald’s death, but a pattern-and-practices investigation would entail a systemic examination of the department and could result in a court-enforced reform settlement agreement.
The Justice Department has opened similar investigations in several cities, including Ferguson, Missouri, where Michael Brown was shot by an officer, and Baltimore, Maryland, where six officers are charged in the death of Freddie Gray.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has opened at least 22 investigations since Obama took office. According to a Justice Department fact sheet, officials are currently enforcing ten consent decrees, which are overseen by federal courts, and 16 out-of-court agreements.
The Justice Dept. did not respond to questions from BuzzFeed News on Sunday night to confirm it would launch an investigation in Chicago or its scope.