The Latest: Civil rights attorneys seek wider Chicago probe

CHICAGO – The Latest on the case of a white Chicago police officer charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of a black teenager (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

Civil rights attorneys are pressing for a special prosecutor to investigate whether other Chicago officers on the scene where a policeman shot a black teenager in 2014 attempted to cover up the circumstances.

A Cook County judge announced Thursday he would appoint an outside prosecutor in the case of Officer Jason Van Dyke, who fired 16 shots at 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

But Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan put off a decision on the petition for the prosecutor to conduct a broader investigation that could lead to charges against other officers.

The judge said the petition was not “shovel-ready” and he needed more time to study the question. He said no grand jury was even looking into the possibility of charges against other officers on the scene when McDonald was killed in October 2014.

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10:30 a.m.

An attorney for a white Chicago police officer charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a black teenager says he’s prepared to defend his client no matter whom the judge appoints as special prosecutor.

Defence attorney Daniel Herbert raised no objection to the request for a special prosecutor in the case of officer Jason Van Dyke.

Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan said in court Thursday he would appoint an outside prosecutor after the outgoing Cook County state’s attorney asked last month to recuse herself.

Herbert said he believes Van Dyke was “overcharged for political reasons.” He added that he hopes the new prosecutor will recognize that.

Van Dyke shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014 in a shooting captured on a police dashcam video.

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9:15 a.m.

A judge says he will appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case of a white Chicago police officer who killed a black teenager by shooting him 16 times.

Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan said during a hearing Thursday morning that he would appoint a special prosecutor in Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke’s first-degree murder trial in the 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Civil rights attorneys and activists have questioned outgoing State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s objectivity and petitioned for her to be removed from the case. Alvarez defended her handling of the case but asked the judge to appoint an outside prosecutor, citing her March election defeat.

Van Dyke’s attorney, Daniel Herbert, attended Thursday’s hearing but Van Dyke did not.

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1:30 a.m.

A hearing is set to take place in the case of a white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager 16 times.

Officer Jason Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder in the 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Video released in November contradicted police accounts of the shooting and set off protests.

A spokeswoman says Van Dyke and his attorney do not plan to attend Thursday’s hearing.

The question of whether to appoint a special prosecutor is among pretrial issues yet to be decided.

Civil rights attorneys and activists have questioned outgoing State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s objectivity and petitioned for her to be removed from the case.

Alvarez defended her handling of the case but asked the judge to appoint an outside prosecutor, citing her March election defeat.