CHICAGO, Dec. 30 (UPI) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to announce Wednesday changes to police training and equipment, including arming officers on street duty with Tasers, after a spate of officer-involved shootings that have heightened racial tensions in the city.
Emanuel and Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante will detail a five-step plan to ensure officers have “de-escalation tactics” that can reduce potentially violent situations “at the earliest moment possible,” the mayor’s office said. As part of the changes, all officers will get Tasers, considered less-lethal weapons, and Taser training by June 16.
About 20 percent of officers who respond to calls have access to Tasers, police said.
Few details have been released about the changes and how they will differ from the current procedures. The 2 p.m. news conference, to be held at City Hall, will be Emanuel’s first public appearance since cutting short his family vacation after an officer fatally shot a 19-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman on Saturday. Police have acknowledged the woman’s death was “accidental.”
Emanuel has faced mounting pressure and calls for his resignation since dashcam video showed Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times, some in the back. Van Dyke pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a first-degree murder charge in the 2014 shooting.
