The Police Department and the mayor have been criticized since the 2014 slaying of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white police officer. McDonald was shot 16 times by Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted of second-degree murder in October. A video, which showed the teen holding a knife and walking away from officers, prompted an investigation of the Police Department by the Justice Department, which found widespread abuses.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 02, 2019 00:56 UTC