Chicago mothers want justice for sons killed by police

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The mothers of Chicago teens killed by police officers are calling for justice for their children amid the video release in the police shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

The group gathered in front of Chicago Police Headquarters at 35th and Michigan on Thursday. They said they want the officers who shot their sons to be held accountable for what they did.

"We need a federal investigation into these cases because our city is not helping us," said Panze Edwards, the mother of Dakota Bright.

Edwards says her son was shot in the back of the head by a Chicago police officer in 2012. She says police told her Bright had a gun - but she says she has yet to get more information.

"These boys in blue, this gang right here, they're covering up for each other. Ain't nothin' we can do out here," Edwards said.

Chantall Brooks said her son, Michael Westley, was shot and killed by police in June 2013, two weeks before his 16th birthday.

Fraternal Order of Police Spokesman Pat Camden said Westley matched the description of three people seen running away from gunfire heard by police in the 6700-block of South Sangamon Street on June 16. Police say he was running south on Sangamon when they cut him off with their car. Police say he turned and ran in the other direction and later pointed a gun at them; he was then shot by an officer and died less than an hour later.

Camden said a revolver was found in Westley's waistband and a .40 caliber handgun was found at the scene.

"I don't know what's going on, why they're killing all these black kids like this, I don't know why, but we want justice," Brooks said.

Gloria Pinex lost a wrongful death lawsuit against the city for her son Darius Pinex's death. Pinex, 27, was killed by police in a traffic-stop gone wrong in January 2011. He was a father of three. She said the officer who shot her son killed another man, Flint Farmer, six months later - and that shooting was caught on video.

Pinex said she thinks investigations into police shootings are "being mishandled on purpose."

"These murders need to be reviewed over again. I'm standing here with two posters - one of my son and one of Flint Farmer," Pinex said.