CHICAGO _ Kane County (Ill.) State's Attorney Joseph McMahon was sworn in Thursday as the independent attorney to prosecute Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke on first-degree murder charges for the killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
McMahon told reporters after his appointment that he had a single goal _ "to find the truth" _ but he declined to say if, as part of his review, he would look into whether the charges against Van Dyke should be dropped or reduced.
"I don't want to talk about it today," he said at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago following his swearing-in by Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan. "I have been appointed to prosecute this case against this defendant. We'll do that to the best of our ability."
The appointment means two special prosecutors have been named in the hot-button case _ one to prosecute Van Dyke and another to investigate whether charges should be brought against other officers or police supervisors for allegedly covering up Van Dyke's conduct.
A dashcam video of the white officer shooting the black teen 16 times _ released in November by court order _ has caused a firestorm of controversy and led to the U.S. Justice Department taking months to investigate police practices in Chicago.
McMahon, 50, told reporters after the hearing that four other prosecutors _ three from Kane County and one from Winnebago County _ would assist him in prosecuting Van Dyke.
"I and this team have one goal in this case, that is to find the truth, to present the truth and ask that justice be served in this case," he said.
Gaughan gave McMahon special permission to speak to reporters after swearing him in. The judge has imposed a gag order in the case.
Last week, former Cook County Judge Patricia Brown Holmes was appointed to investigate the other officers' conduct at the shooting scene and if higher-ups assisted in allegedly covering up Van Dyke's role.
The video showed Van Dyke opening fire within seconds of exiting his police SUV as McDonald walked away from police with a knife in his hand, contradicting many of the officers' written accounts that the teen had lunged with the knife.
In February, a coalition of about 25 community groups, prominent attorneys and a member of McDonald's family asked that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate not only McDonald's shooting but also the officers at the scene.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez opposed a special prosecutor during her hard-fought re-election effort earlier this year, but after her primary loss, she withdrew her opposition.
Federal prosecutors also have been looking into possible charges against the officers at the scene for many months. Citing sources, the Tribune has reported that the federal inquiry has branched into possible obstruction of justice by officers at the scene.
In addition, the city inspector general's office, which has the power to investigate and make recommendations on employee matters and policies, is looking into the matter.
For the better part of a year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel fought the release of the dashcam video of the shooting. A judge ordered Emanuel to release the video in November, more than a year after the shooting occurred. Van Dyke was charged with murder hours before the video was made public, leading some to accuse Emanuel of being complicit in a cover-up and fueling weeks of protests.
