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All Chicago police patrol cars to have Tasers

Posted at 5:45 PM, Dec 30, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-30 17:45:45-05
Interim Chicago Police Superintendent John Escalante (L) listens as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel addresses changes in training and procedures that will take place at the Chicago police department in the wake of recent shootings on December 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The changes were being announced following the deaths of a 19-year-old college student Quintonio LeGrier and his 55-year-old neighbor Bettie Jones following a domestic disturbance call on December 26. Police claim Jones was killed by accident when officer were shooting at LeGrier who was wielding a metal baseball bat. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Interim Chicago Police Superintendent John Escalante (L) listens as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel addresses changes in training and procedures that will take place at the Chicago police department in the wake of recent shootings on December 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

CHICAGO (AP) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel says every Chicago police patrol car will be equipped with a Taser following a series of high-profile shootings by officers.

Emanuel says the city will double the number of Tasers available, to 1,400.

Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante says 21 percent of Chicago officers are certified on using a Taser, but more training will be offered.

The mayor and Police Department have been heavily criticized since the city last month released video footage of a white officer shooting a black teenager 16 times in 2014.

Emanuel noted that on audio recordings of communications between dispatchers and officers on the scene that night, several officers are heard “frantically” asking for a Taser before officer Jason Van Dyke shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Police have said no officers or vehicles on the scene were equipped with one.

Emanuel also says Chicago officers must be better trained in knowing the difference between when they can use a gun and when they should use a gun.