Activists push for Rahm Emanuel recall on Laquan McDonald anniversary

CHICAGO — Activists marked the second anniversary of the controversial police shooting death of Laquan McDonald on Thursday by calling on the Illinois General Assembly to pass a law allowing voters to recall some elected positions with the aim of ejecting Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

State Rep. Ken Dunkin, a Democrat from the city’s South Side, said he filed proposed legislation that would require petitioners to obtain signatures from the equivalent of 10% of registered voters from the last citywide or countywide election to spur a recall of the mayor, lawmakers or the state's attorney.

Dunkin and community activists announced the effort near the site where the black teen was shot 16 times by Officer Jason Van Dyke on the evening of Oct. 20, 2014. Police dashcam video, released more than a year after the incident, showed the officer repeatedly fired at McDonald, 17, who was holding a small knife and appeared to be running away from authorities, even after he fell to the ground.

Dunkin, who lost a primary in March, said he hopes to get a vote on the bill during the end-of-the-year legislative session that begins Nov. 15. “We have to hold our office holders to the highest public regard,” Dunkin said.

McDonald's death, one of several controversial incidents throughout the country involving officers using deadly force on black suspects over the past two years, sparked outrage in Chicago's large African-American community, which has a long history of a tense relationship with the city's police department. A Justice Department civil rights investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

In the aftermath of the video's release in November, activists called for the resignations of Emanuel, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

After tough year, Chicago Mayor Emanuel shows sign of political rebound

Emanuel fired McCarthy days after the video’s release, and Alvarez was trounced in a March primary after being criticized by her opponent for taking 400 days to charge Van Dyke with first-degree murder. But Emanuel refused to resign and vowed he would work to overhaul the police department and repair a shattered trust in the African-American community.

He created a police accountability task force that concluded in an April report that the department — which has paid out more than $500 million in settlements over police misconduct allegations over the past decade — was beset by systemic racism.

Task force finds Chicago Police Department plagued by racism

Emanuel also implemented or is in the process of implementing several changes in policy at the police department, including replacing the much-maligned city agency tasked with investigating police shootings and allegations of police misconduct; requiring the release of video of police shootings in 60 to 90 days; and requiring all police officers to go through de-escalation training.

“The mayor’s focus is on implementing the reforms necessary to prevent another unnecessary death in the first place, and to ensure thorough and transparent investigations for any use of force,” said Adam Collins, a spokesman for Emanuel. “People will see through the politics and make their own judgments on the bill.”

William Calloway, a community activist advocating the bill, said Emanuel has lost moral authority and needs to be ousted before his second term ends in 2019.

"This would add more trust to democracy in the city of Chicago,” he said. “Most importantly, it would add to the legacy of Laquan McDonald, and that’s what is important today — to commemorate this young man, what happened to him and hold those accountable that worked to cover up his death."

Last month, a local judge agreed to convene a grand jury to consider evidence of a possible cover-up by several other officers at the scene who provided starkly different accounts to investigators about the shooting.

Emanuel's approval rating plummeted to 18% earlier this year. But a poll published last month by the Chicago firm Victory Research showed his standing has improved considerably, with 44% of voters saying they approve of his job performance. He has not yet said whether he will seek re-election.

“Rahm has no heart to do the right thing — especially when it comes to the African-American community,” Calloway said. “He does not care about the African-American community. It was only because the activist community put pressure on him that this tape came out.”

Activists also held a demonstration Thursday evening to mark the anniversary of McDonald's death.

Follow USA TODAY Chicago correspondent Aamer Madhani on Twitter: @AamerISmad