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The skeletons are slowly crawling out of the Chicago Police Department’s closet. Two weeks after a judge ordered the release of the Laquan McDonald murder, the CPD has released two other controversial videos that were concealed for years to protect police officers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The videos are being released following the Department of Justice’s upcoming probe of the CPD.
After releasing the shooting death of Ronald Johnson III, the CPD recently released the murder of Philip Coleman. In December 2012, Coleman was arrested after assaulting his mother during a psychotic episode. While he was asleep in a jail cell, six officers entered Coleman’s cell and began harassing him. Coleman is hit and choked by officers and also tasered while on the ground. Coleman eventually loses consciousness and officers are seen dragging him from the cell. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police ruled his death an accident after a bad reaction to antipsychotic drugs. However, an autopsy revealed that he died due to severe trauma to the head and had over 50 bruises on his body as he was shot with a taser 13 times.
Moreover, the CPD did not notify Coleman’s family that the video would be released after years of concealing it. Mayor Emanuel spoke about the video and condemned the officers involved. However, there haven’t been charges filed in the murder and Chicago citizens are angry at Emanuel. Hundreds of protestors hit the streets of Chicago demanding that Emanuel resign.
Chicago officials have allowed for corruption to exist in the city for decades. Due to the fact that corruption has become an essential part of the culture, the leaders must be held accountable for the city to properly heal and rebuild.
