Associated Press
CHICAGO — A judge has refused to dismiss the case against three Chicago police officers accused of participating in a cover-up surrounding the fatal police shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald.
Cook County Judge Domenica Stephenson ruled Monday. The bench trial should start as scheduled Nov. 26.
Officer Thomas Gaffney, former Detective David March and ex-Officer Joseph Walsh are charged with conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors allege that they falsely claimed in their reports that McDonald had battered, assaulted and attacked police officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot McDonald 16 times in 2014. A jury last month convicted Van Dyke of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.
Defense attorneys had attacked the prosecution’s case as a sham and asked that the case be dismissed.