Illinois attorney general asks for federal probe of Chicago Police Department

The Illinois attorney general is calling for an independent investigation of the Chicago Police Department by the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

Lisa Madigan sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Tuesday, the same day Chicago Police Department Superintendent Garry McCarthy resigned under pressure in the wake of the Laquan McDonald shooting. "The shocking death of Laquan McDonald is the latest tragedy in our city that highlights serious questions about the use of unlawful and excessive force by Chicago police officers and the lack of accountability for such abuse," Madigan said in a statement. "Trust in the Chicago Police Department is broken." Madigan said she knows the "vast majority" of officers serve "with bravery, honor, and integrity," but added that the "children in all of Chicago's communities deserve to grow up in a city in which they are protected and served by the police."

Madigan requested that investigators look into the department's use of force; training and supervision of officers; the adequacy of reviews and investigations into officer misconduct; and if there is a pattern of discriminatory policing, ABC Chicago reports.