2005 Police Shooting Of Emmanuel Lopez Comes Under Scrutiny
(CBS) -- As the City Council took on the police department, accusations swirl over another alleged police cover up and charges of excessive force.
This time the accusations center around the 2005 shooting of Emmanuel Lopez.
As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, the officer accused of killing Laquan McDonald is also linked to this case.
On September 16, 2005, four Chicago Police officers fired more than 40 shots at 23-year-old Emmanuel Lopez who was driving a red Honda Civic.
According to police, Lopez was shot to death after he hit two officers with his car, pinning one under it, as he was fleeing the scene of a traffic accident.
Terry Ekl, the attorney representing Lopez's family in a civil lawsuit, says the shooting was an execution with 16-bullets hitting Lopez, 14 of them in the back and many in a downward angle as if shot through the sunroof of his car. He also says officers lied to cover it up.
"Part of the game plan of the Chicago Police Department when they investigate a police officer shooting is they don't consider the physical evidence and they try to get one cohesive consistent story as to how the shooting took place," Ekl said.
Among those officers, Jason Van Dyke, who is now charged with first degree murder for shooting Laquan McDonald.
Van Dyke didn't shoot Lopez, but he was in charge of writing the initial report about how the shooting happened.
"He was handed a piece of paper by some unknown member of the Chicago Police Department and told that's what you put in your report," Ekl said. "You don't interview anyone."
Members of the City Council's Latino Caucus say the Lopez case shows the need for the Department of Justice to investigate all questionable shootings by Chicago Police officers.
"This has to be color blind when it comes to justice," said Alderman George Cardenas. "Justice had to be applied to all."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the city's Law Department said the Lopez case was investigated and found to be justified by all investigating bodies. He also said attempts to overstate Officer Van Dyke's role in the case are unfortunate.