The Chicago Police Department has “engaged in a pattern or practice of unreasonable force,” violating the civil rights of citizens by unnecessarily shooting at suspects and failing to adequately investigate or punish officers who break the law, the Justice Department announced Friday.Speaking at a press conference in Chicago with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson present, outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the city’s police officers unnecessarily escalate situations, leading to incidents that endanger both cops and civilians.“One of my highest priorities as attorney general has been to ensure that every American enjoys police protection that is lawful, responsive, and transparent,” Lynch said in a statement announcing the findings. “Sadly, our thorough investigation into the Chicago Police Department found that far too many residents of this proud city have not received that kind of policing.”The press conference coincided with the release of a lengthy DOJ report about misconduct and civil rights violations by Chicago’s 12,000-officer police force, the second-largest in the United States.With regard to unlawful use of force, the DOJ report found that Chicago cops:The Justice Department said in the report released Friday that Chicago police fail to “fully document and meaningfully review officers’ use of force” and that officers who break the rules are rarely held accountable.With regard to police accountability, the investigation found that the city:
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- Shot at fleeing suspects “who presented no immediate threat.”
- Shot at vehicles “without justification.”
- Used Tasers and other types of “less-lethal force” against “people who pose no threat.”
- Used force to “retaliate against and punish individuals.”
- Used “excessive force” against juveniles.
- Employed tactics that “unnecessarily endanger officers and result in avoidable shootings.”
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- Routinely “fails to investigate the majority of cases it is required to investigate by law.”
- When it does investigate, “the questioning of officers is aimed at eliciting information favorable to the officer, and investigators do not confront officers with inconsistent physical evidence.”
- The city “does not take sufficient steps to secure accurate and complete witness statements, including preventing officers from concealing misconduct.”
- Discipline of officers is “haphazard, unpredictable, and does not deter misconduct.”