Former Gov. Patrick To Advise On Chicago Police Review

Former Gov. Deval Patrick, a native of Chicago's South Side neighborhood, will advise a task force assembled by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to review that city's police department in the wake of the police shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald.

Emanuel announced the creation of the task force on Tuesday to review the Chicago police's systems for accountability, oversight and training of offices.

Patrick, who worked under President Bill Clinton as an assistant U.S. attorney in charge of the civil rights division, has agreed to serve as a senior advisor to the five-person task force.

"The shooting of Laquan McDonald requires more than just words," Emanuel said in a statement. "It requires that we act; that we take more concrete steps to prevent such abuses in the future, secure the safety and the rights of all Chicagoans, and build stronger bonds of trust between our police and the communities they're sworn to serve."

McDonald, a black 17-year-old, died on Oct. 16, 2014 after being shot 16 times by a white police officer who was charged last week with first degree murder after the release of a video of the shooting.

The release of video has sparked protests across the city of Chicago from community members upset by the incident and the city's handling of the investigation.

After leaving office in January, Patrick joined Bain Capital as a managing partner leading the firm's new initiative to find investment opportunities that could have positive social impacts.

The Chicago police task force has been charged with making recommendations to Emanuel and the Chicago City Council by March 31, 2016.