Chicago Cops Will Radio In Incidents When They Point A Gun At Someone

Chicago Cops Will Have To Radio In Report When They Point A Gun At Someone

Within the next year, any Chicago police officer who points a gun at an individual during an arrest or a street stop will have to radio in and report the incident to dispatch.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the decision was introduced in a deal between Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office on Thursday. The changes are expected to take place by July 2019.

The Tribune reports:

The issue of tracking gun-pointing incidents was a late sticking point between Madigan and Emanuel in the push to bring federal judicial oversight to the department, a process sparked nearly three years ago by video of an officer shooting teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. Lawyers for the two officials have been working toward a consent decree — a court order enforceable by a federal judge — intended to tighten the rules on uses of force and strengthen supervision and discipline, among other changes.

There have been mixed reactions to the decision. Activist groups feel like it is a step in the right direction while police officials have argued that it may cause officers to hesitate in potentially dangerous situations, reports the Tribune.