Justice Department To Release Long-Awaited Results Of Chicago Police Probe Friday

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 11, 2017 11:06PM

Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Justice will release its long-awaited report on the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday, according to multiple reports that cite an unnamed official close to the investigation.

The report will conclude the Justice Department’s months-long investigation into the police department's practices relating to race and the use of force.

The Friday date dovetails with expectations from previous news reports, which targeted either Friday or the following Monday. It was unlikely that the findings would be made public prior to Obama’s farewell address, which was held on Tuesday night.

The probe was announced back in December of 2015, in the wake of the release of dashcam footage of Laquan McDonald’s shooting death at the hands of Chicago police.Events captured in video differed dramatically between some officers’ official testimony. Waves of protesters took the streets following the release to protest the shooting and the city’s handling of tapes.

Officials have been hurrying since the election of Donald Trump to complete and release the report ahead of Barack Obama’s departure from the White House. Officials fear that likely incoming Attorney General Jeff Sessions—a vocal advocate of greater police leeway—could sideline the DOJ’s recommendations.

The probe is the largest ever of its kind conducted by federal officials, U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon said last year, according to the Tribune.

Current Attorney General Loretta Lynch is expected to make an announcement in the near future.