The Chicago Police Department has launched mandatory training designed to help officers de-escalate conflicts, including situations involving use of force and mental health issues. Chicago police say the training is in its second week at the police academy and was developed with a panel of national policing and mental health experts. The training uses live scenarios and exercises to help officer respond to complex situations.
The training is among several department reforms following the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
The black teenager was shot 16 times in 2014 by a white Chicago police officer. Graphic squad-car video of the shooting was released last year, prompting protests and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.
