White House says Chicago mayor has shown ‘personal commitment’ to police reforms
Posted Dec 2, 2015 02:23:58 PM.
Last Updated Dec 2, 2015 04:40:38 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON – The White House is expressing support for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as he struggles with the fallout from a police shooting.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Emanuel has demonstrated a “personal commitment” to reforming the city’s police department.
Emanuel fired the police superintendent and formed a task force to study police accountability in the aftermath of the release of a 2014 video showing a white police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times.
The case has sparked protests and calls for Emanuel’s resignation.
Earnest says President Barack Obama has seen the video, but he declined to describe the president’s reaction. He says Obama does not want to appear to be interfering in a potential federal investigation.
Emanuel served as Obama’s first chief of staff.
