Chicago Mayor Fires City Police Superintendent

03:50

December 01, 2015

The Associated Press

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy (left) and Mayor Rahm Emanuel arrive for a press conference to address the arrest of Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke on November 24, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Van Dyke has been charged with first degree murder for shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times on October 20, 2014 after responding to a call of a knife wielding man who had threatened the complainant and was attempting to break into vehicles in a trucking yard. Emanuel and McCarthy announced they were releasing police video of the shooting during the press conference. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has fired the city's police chief after a public outcry over the handling of the case of a black teenager shot 16 times by a white police officer.

Emanuel announced at a news conference Tuesday that he has dismissed Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who only days ago insisted to reporters that the mayor had his "back."

Protesters have been calling for McCarthy's dismissal for days in response to the handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting. The black 17-year-old was shot 16 times by a white police officer in October 2014.

The city released police dashcam video of the shooting only after a judge ordered it to be made public. Its release last week set off several days of largely peaceful protests. Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder.

McCarthy has been chief since May 2011.

Guest

Robert Wildeboer, criminal and legal affairs reporter for WBEZ in Chicago. He tweets @robertwildeboer.

This segment aired on December 1, 2015.