Hillary Clinton Calls For Federal Investigation of Chicago Police Following Laquan McDonald Shooting

— -- Hillary Clinton is calling for a federal probe of the Chicago Police Department’s tactics following the shooting of Laquan McDonald, according to a spokesperson.

This stance goes against the position of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former Chief of Staff to President Obama and longtime friend and colleague of Clinton’s, who has said a local task force would be more appropriate for the review.

“Hillary Clinton is deeply troubled by the shooting of Laquan McDonald and the outstanding questions related to both the shooting and the video,” spokesperson Brian Fallon said in a statement. "Mayor Emanuel’s call for a task force to review practices of the Chicago Police Department is an important step, but given the gravity of this tragic situation, she supports a full review by the Department of Justice.”

Clinton’s call for a federal review comes roughly one week after the Chicago officials released disturbing video from October 2014 showing a white police officer shooting 17-year-old McDonald.

The video has sparked widespread protests across the city, and for many activists to call for the resignation of Emanuel, who has been widely criticized for his handling of the situation.

Emanuel fired the city's police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, in the wake of the shooting.

Clinton has made criminal justice reform a prominent focus of her campaign. During a campaign event on Tuesday she called for an overhaul of the system.

"There is something profoundly wrong when African-American men are still far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes and sentenced to longer prison terms for doing the same things as a white man,” Clinton said. "We must reform our criminal justice system. It can be and all to often is stacked against those with the least power.”