Chicago mayor not resigning following police shooting

CHICAGO (KGO) -- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he is not going to resign in the wake of the release of the Laquan McDonald police shooting video.

"We have a process. It's called the election. The voters spoke," Emanuel said. "I'll be held accountable and responsible for my actions and the decisions I make and that's how I approach it. I never shrink from the responsibility of making what I think are the very tough decisions to move the city forward."

Mayor Emanuel spoke candidly during a Politico event on Wednesday morning, the day after Garry McCarthy was fired from the Chicago Police Department. Emanuel also said he canceled a trip to Paris to attend a conference on climate change.

Emanuel was questioned about the city's handling of the McDonald video, which shows a Chicago police officer shooting the teenager 16 times as he walked away.

Emanuel said the city has begun its search for a new Chicago police superintendent. Until McCarthy's replacement is found, Chicago First Deputy John Escalante will serve as interim superintendent. Escalante, a 29-year veteran, is expected to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

While some celebrated the shakeup at the Chicago Police Department, others spoke about the department's future. Retired Police Officer Richard Wooten wants Emanuel to hire an African American.

"We have three aspects that we are going to be looking at to make changes in this group today: the hiring of the new superintendent that is going to be equally bound and actually represented by the people, the training of the Chicago Police Department and the employment of more African Americans in the Chicago Police Department," Wooten said.

The city is currently conducting a nationwide search for his successor. Some names are being floated around, including interim Superintendent John Escalante and recently-retired First Deputy Superintendent Al Wysinger. But many think Mayor Rahm Emanuel will seek an outsider.

Soon-to-retire Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey has been a candidate in previous searches.

"No one's contacted me. I hate to see Garry McCarthy step down. He's a good man. I think he's done a lot of very good things in Chicago. I still plan to retire in January. If there are ways of helping organizations beyond just leading it, in terms of being police superintendent or something. But I've not heard anything from Chicago at all," Ramsey said.

Emanuel said the superintendent candidate the city is looking for has no type. He's looking for a professional who can lead and who has a solid record of bringing results in public safety.

The police board will narrow the list to ten candidates, then to three and then the mayor will make his decision.