On Wednesday, three months after Dr. David Dao was dragged off a United flight at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, the Chicago Department of Aviation released a report on the incident. The report said that the officers who removed Dao from the aircraft were “improperly” marked as police officers. Steps would be taken by the CDA to prevent a recurrence of any similar incidents, the report said.

“CDA is working hard to learn from the regrettable incident that took place on UA Flight 3411 and doubling efforts to strengthen policies, procedures, and training to ensure that something like this never happens again,” the report said.

On April 9, Dao, a 69-year-old physician, was forcibly removed from an aircraft at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The flight was overbooked, and United needed to secure seats for its staff, the airline said. When none of the passengers voluntarily gave up their seat, officers entered the cabin and selected four passengers to remove at random. Dao was one of them.

He refused to comply, however, and security officers slammed Dao to the ground and dragged him down the aisle like a piece of luggage. The incident was captured on video; it went viral, and incited outrage at the officers’ conduct. Dao sued United, which eventually reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount of money.

The officers who removed Dao were airport security, not Chicago police officers, despite the fact that their uniforms, badges, and vehicles were labeled “police.” The report said the security officers’ labeling would change in the coming months.

And in a more concrete development, the CDA announced a new policy: airport security officers will only be allowed on an aircraft to respond to a disturbance if Chicago police requests them, or “if there is a medical emergency or a battery in progress,” according to CDA spokeswoman Lauren Huffman.

“The safety of our passengers has always been our top priority, and we are taking action to ensure that the policies and procedures are in place to deliver the most effective security responses,” Ginger Evans, commissioner of the CDA said in a news release.

She continued: “We are confident that these actions are necessary to guide our department forward, while improving clarity for the aviation security officers who play an integral role in maintaining safe and secure conditions for the traveling public at both of Chicago’s airports.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Michael Slager, the former North Charleston police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott in April 2015, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges that he violated Scott’s civil rights by using excessive force. As part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors will drop the murder charges against Slager. The murder was one of a spate of instances in which a white officer was filmed killing an unarmed black man, and added fuel to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The defendant willfully used deadly force even though it was objectively unreasonable under the circumstances,” the plea agreement says, according to the Associated Press. “The defendant acknowledges that during the time he used deadly force, he knew that the use of deadly force was unnecessary and excessive, and therefore unreasonable under the circumstances.”

Scott’s death was a galvanizing moment for the Black Lives Matter movement during a year in which, according to a Washington Post database, at least 38 unarmed black men and women were shot and killed by police. The bloody April 4, 2015 episode began as a routine traffic stop. After Slager pulled over Scott’s Mercedes Benz because of a broken taillight, the 50-year-old Scott ran away.

A video, filmed by a local barber, captured the rest of the scene: the two men began to tussle over Slager’s Taser. Scott once again fled from Slager, who fired eight shots at his back; five hit their mark, killing Scott, and igniting national outrage. Slager was immediately fired and, a few days later, charged with murder. Last December, the murder trial ended in a hung jury.

Slager was facing two life sentences: one for the murder charge, and one for the civil rights charge. Because he entered a plea deal, it is unlikely Slager will face life in prison. Slager appeared in federal court for a hearing on Tuesday. Local journalists captured the scene:

The family of Walter Scott entering the courthouse #walterscott #MichaelSlager @postandcourier pic.twitter.com/EurZ42ZtTM

— Michael Pronzato (@MichaelPronz) May 2, 2017

The hearing lasted less than 30 minutes. #WalterScott‘s family wiped away tears as the details of their loved one’s death were retold.

— Janae Frazier (@JanaeFrazier) May 2, 2017

Plea deal does not state possible sentence. Charge carries between no prison time and life behind bars. #WalterScott #chsnews

— Andrew Knapp (@offlede) May 2, 2017

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Officer Who Killed Walter Scott Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charge appeared first on Law Street.