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WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Chicago Police Review Board Head Resigns

Chip Mitchell
/
WBEZ

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office says the head of the city's police review board resigned and will be replaced with a former federal prosecutor. That comes after protests over the fatal shooting of a black 17-year-old by a white police officer.

The mayor's office said in a press release Scott Ando, the chief administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority, resigned effective immediately. The statement says Sharon Fairly, general counsel and first deputy of the city's Office of the Inspector General, will take over Ando's role.

Fairly served for eight years as an assistant U.S. attorney. The statement says “new leadership is required as we rededicate ourselves to dramatically improving our system of police accountability and rebuilding trust in that process.”

Fairly's appointment is among several changes implemented since Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Laquan McDonald, who was shot 16 times. Van Dyke was charged just hours before city officials released video of the incident.