Tag Archives: laquan mcdonald

Thousands raised for daughters of Chicago officer convicted of killing Laquan McDonald

Over 500 people have contributed more than $45,000 to a GoFundMe page for the daughters of convicted Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke.

One of Van Dyke’s lawyers, Tammy Wendt, began setting up the page last week not long after the guilty verdict, and donations have poured in in the four days since it went live. Many of the donations have come from law enforcement officers who say they were stunned by the verdict.

“They say they know it could have been one of them,” Wendt said on Monday.

Van Dyke earlier this month was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm — one for each time Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014.

Wendt said the $100,000 goal for the fundraiser was a number she “pulled out of the air,” and that in the near term the family will need the money to pay daily expenses without Van Dyke’s income for however long he is incarcerated. None of the money will go to his legal expenses, Wendt said.

“They [Vand Dyke and his wife] have two kids, and both of them want to go to college,” Wendt said.

Van Dyke was suspended by CPD after he was charged in November 2015, but soon after got a $14-an-hour job doing janitorial work for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, the union that represents most of the department’s rank-and-file officers.

Van Dyke’s wife, Tiffany, works as a bar manager, but took nearly a month off work to attend her husband’s trial, Wendt said.

“Tiffany is just overwhelmed with gratitude. She’s just floored,” Wendt said. “They just can’t believe it because it really is not just the money, things people are saying, some really supportive things, and that helps, too.”

Wendt said that she was surprised by the outpouring of support— and cash— in the days since the GoFundMe page opened, but admitted that she has had to block all comments to the page because of a number of negative remarks from visitors.

Contributing: AP

Chris Southwood, Illinois FOP President on Van Dyke: “If the decision to shoot in the first place is lawful, there’s no crime in this case”

President of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Chris Southwood offers his take on the Jason Van Dyke trial to Big John & Ramblin’ Ray. Southwood touches on the legality of the shooting, as well as the difficulty of being a police officer in those situations.
(Image courtesy of fidelitybluelinemortgage.com)

Dane Placko discusses his interview with Jason Van Dyke

Big John and Ramblin’ Ray are joined by Fox 32’s Dane Placko where they talk about his interview with Jason Van Dyke, that was released yesterday. Understanding how it went and how his feelings on the situation came across in the interview.

Here’s the interview of Jason Van Dyke speaking with Dane Planko ahead of the Laquan McDonald murder trial:

FOP President: “85% of Cook County residents have already made up their minds on Jason Van Dyke.”

 

Big John and Ramblin’ Ray are joined by Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police President  Kevin Graham, where they discuss Jason Van Dyke and how he speaks out for the first time since the shooting of Laquan McDonald. Plus the placement of his trial, since it has been delayed due to placement since residents in Cook County have already determined their verdict.

4 cops at Laquan McDonald shooting suspended for faulty dashcams

(CHICAGO) Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson has suspended four officers who were at the scene of the Laquan McDonald shooting in 2014 for not ensuring their dashboard cameras were working properly.

In a quarterly report released Wednesday, the Office of Chicago’s Inspector General said it: “issued findings and disciplinary recommendations of suspension for four other officers, on the basis of which the Superintendent issued one week suspensions for each of the four individuals.”

Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Johnson had suspended the four officers — who were not named — for one week each as punishment for not ensuring their dashboard cameras were working properly on Oct. 20, 2014.

It was not known Wednesday night when the suspensions were to be served or specifically how the cameras malfunctioned.

Five dashboard videos taken from different angles at the scene of the Laquan McDonald shooting have been released.

None recorded any audio, including the graphic video that shows Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke shooting the 17-year-old 16 times as he walked away from police holding a knife. Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder and is currently awaiting trial.

The inspector general’s office had initially recommended discipline for 15 officers who were at the scene of the Laquan McDonald shooting. The four who received weeklong suspensions were the last of those 15 to be disciplined.

Based on those recommendations, Johnson moved to fire five of those cops, including Van Dyke. Their cases are pending before the Chicago Police Board.

Not all those recommended for discipline by the inspector general were formally punished, though.

In a Dec. 8, 2016 lawsuit, the city’s Inspector General, Joe Ferguson, said: “The Superintendent disagreed with OIG’s findings and disciplinary recommendation respecting one officer and permitted five of fifteen to resign or retire prior to formal action on OIG’s findings and discharge recommendations.”

— Chicago Sun-Times

Judge rejects access to Laquan McDonald’s juvenile records again

(CHICAGO) Lawyers for Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke will not be able to access Laquan McDonald’s juvenile court records, a Cook County judge ruled on Wednesday for the second time, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

In August, Patricia Martin, the presiding judge of the child protection division of the Juvenile Court, denied the request from defense attorneys, who had argued that they needed to review McDonald’s file to prepare for trial.

Some members of Van Dyke’s defense team appeared before Martin again Wednesday to see if she changed her mind.

She didn’t.

Van Dyke is accused of shooting 17-year-old McDonald 16 times in October 2014.

Just last month, Van Dyke’s lawyers made a separate request to see McDonald’s private files to Judge Vincent Gaughan, who is presiding over the officer’s murder case.

While Gaughan asked the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to turn over 8,200 pages of McDonald’s juvenile court records, he said he will first analyze them himself to see if they are relevant for the officer’s trial.

Defense attorney Daniel Herbert, at the time, noted the “significant” amount of PCP in McDonald’s system and his “erratic behavior” before his death and said he needed to browse the records to see if the teenager had a medical condition or was on medication.

Gaughan has not yet announced his findings on whether any of the files are relevant for the defense.

Christopher Nelson, a spokesman for special prosecutor Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon, said he could not legally comment on Wednesday’s ruling since the matter was in juvenile court.

Defense attorneys don’t plan to appeal Martin’s decision, according to their spokeswoman Anne Kavanagh.

McDonald’s juvenile court records, usually confidential, were made public to the Chicago Sun-Times and other media outlets late last year after the graphic dashcam video of McDonald’s death in the 4100 block of South Pulaski was made public.

Abuse and neglect complaints began when McDonald was a toddler. He became a ward of the state at age 3, was in and out of foster care, and had a history of arrests for drugs and petty crimes, according to those records.

— Chicago Sun-Times

Judge orders DCFS to send him Laquan McDonald’s juvenile records

(CHICAGO)The judge presiding over the murder trial of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke asked the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Thursday to send him over 8,200 pages of Laquan McDonald’s juvenile court records.

However, Judge Vincent Gaughan hasn’t decided whether Van Dyke’s defense team will see the files when he receives them. He said he will first analyze them himself to see if they are relevant for the officer’s pending trial, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Gaughan made the order in response to defense attorney Daniel Herbert’s request. Herbert wants to see the files so he can build a case for his client, who is accused of shooting 17-year-old McDonald 16 times.

Van Dyke can face up to 45 years in prison if he is convicted for the 2014 incident, Herbert noted, arguing that he is entitled to the records.

Just last month, Patricia Martin, the presiding judge of the child protection division of the Juvenile Court denied Herbert access to the records.

Herbert made his plea to see the records again to Gaughan on Thursday, saying it was “ludicrous” that he is being kept from them.

McDonald’s juvenile court records, usually confidential, were made public to the Chicago Sun-Times and other media outlets late last year after the graphic dashcam video of McDonald’s death in the 4100 block of South Pulaski was made public.

Herbert noted the “significant” amount of PCP in McDonald’s system and his “erratic behavior” at the time and said he needed to browse the records to see if the teenager had a medical condition or was on medication.

Abuse and neglect complaints began when McDonald was a toddler. He became a ward of the state at age 3, was in and out of foster care, and had a history of arrests for drugs and petty crimes, according to those records.

© Copyright 2016 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

State’s Attorney Challenger Speaks on McDonald Shooting

By Bill Cameron, WLS News

(CHICAGO) In the race for Cook County State’s Attorney, challenger Donna More rallied about a hundred supporters Wednesday downtown.

More officially kicked off her campaign promising to end corruption and put a police-involved shooting unit in the state’s attorney’s office. She said it wouldn’t have taken her more than a year to indict Officer Jason Van Dyke for shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times in October of 2014.

“I think that when you look at that video tape, and it’s hard to put an exact date, but I think that case should have been indicted in November of 2014,” More said.

And to give her campaign a little energy, outspoken defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. stepped up to endorse her.

“I knew there was no need for me to run, there was no need to back a Kim Foxx, we have who and what we need in Donna More,” Adam said.

Listen to Bill Cameron’s report for WLS radio news:

Adam took a pass on endorsing his fellow African American Kim Foxx.

@ 2015 WLS News

Not Everyone Wants Rahm Out

By Nick Gale, WLS News

(CHICAGO) There was another protest in Chicago Friday, but not everyone there called for the mayor’s ouster.

Clergy, community leaders and the Rainbow Push Coalition gathered outside of City Hall, marching around it seven times and calling for change. At several points, they stopped and counted to 16; the number of times 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot by a police officer, the shooting captured on dash-cam video.

Unlike many others, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin did not call for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step down, but called for an expansion of the U.S. Justice Department investigation.

“We’re hoping that truth will come down and that the federal government will expand their investigation beyond the Chicago Police Department and also include Homan Square and the mayor’s office and what the mayor knew and when he knew it,” Boykin said.

Listen to Nick Gale’s report for WLS News:

 

He says the mayor can take this opportunity and make real change within the city. Boykin also wants to see the investigation expanded to include Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

@ 2015 WLS News

Zopp: Need Special Prosecutor in McDonald Shooting

By Bill Cameron, WLS News

(CHICAGO) In the race for U.S. Senate, Democrat Andrea Zopp is calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor in the first degree murder case against Jason Van Dyke for shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times.

Zopp argues it’s time to take the case out of the hands of Cook County State’s Attorney Alvarez because she took so much time to bring the case after seeing the dash board video of the killing.

“We’ve had protests, we’ve had issues raised,” Zopp said. “The community is questioning the ability of the criminal justice system to work in the favor of African Americans, and the way this case has been handled has supported those questions.”

Alvarez has said she’s handled the case with integrity and professionalism, but even if Zopp doesn’t get a special prosecutor, she probably helps her support with African-Americans in her primary battle with Tammy Duckworth.

@ 2015 WLS News

Emanuel apologizes for LaQuan McDonald shooting

new rahm

By John Dempsey, WLS News

(CHICAGO) Mayor Emanuel delivered an emotional, 30 minute speech today before the Chicago City Council, apologizing for the police shooting of 17 year old LaQuan McDonald, who was shot to death by a Chicago Police officer over a year ago, and vowing to reform a police department he says too often has escaped accountability for police misconduct.

Emanuel told the aldermen “I am the Mayor.   I own it.  I take responsibility for what happened because it happened on my watch.  And if we’re going to fix it, I want you to understand it’s my responsibility with you.  But if we’re also going to begin the healing process, the first step in that journey is my step, and I’m sorry”

The Mayor also said he was wrong to wait over a year to release the dash cam video of the shooting, saying that “holding on to the video, undermined public trust”.

Emanuel says there has been what he called a “thin blue line” in the police department and a “code of silence, a tendency to ignore, deny, and cover up the bad actions of a colleague or colleagues”.

Emanuel has been engulfed in a media firestorm since he released the video two weeks ago that showed white officer Jason Van Dyke firing 16 shots into the black teenager’s body.  Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder.

Emanuel also said that the reforms must go beyond the police department and that Chicago needs to “reset our values.”

You can read Mayor Emanuel’s entire speech here

This past week the U.S. Justice Department announced it was conducting a wide-ranging civil rights investigation of the Chicago Police Department, something Emanuel says he welcomes.

 

@ 2015 WLS News

 

Feds to investigate Chicago Police for possible Civil Rights violations

By John Dempsey, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has officially opened a civil rights investigation of the Chicago Police Department.

The Police department has been under fire for the handling of a case involving black teenager LaQuan McDonald, who was shot and killed by white police officer Jason Van Dyke in October of 2014.  Van Dyke has been charged with first degree murder.

Lynch told reporters in Washington, “Today, I’m here to announce that the Department of Justice has opened an investigation into whether the Chicago Police Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of the constitution, or Federal law.  We will examine a number of issues related to the Chicago Police Department’s use of force, including it’s use of deadly force, racial, ethnic and other disparities in it’s use of force, and it’s accountability mechanisms”.

Lynch says all citizens of Chicago, “Deserve law enforcement that is effective, responsive, respectful and most importantly constitutional.  When community members feel that they are not receiving that kind of policing, when they feel ignored, let down, or mistreated by public safety officials, there are profound consequences for the well being of their communities”.

Mayor Emanuel has been under fire since the release of the McDonald video.  Last week he rejected calls for a Federal investigation of Chicago Police, calling it “misguided”.  But then one day later Emanuel changed course and said he welcomed the investigation.   Monday morning, Emanuel released the following statement:

“I welcome today’s announcement by the Department of Justice and pledge the City’s complete cooperation. Our mutual goal is to create a stronger, better Police Department that keeps the community safe while respecting the civil rights of every Chicagoan. Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of our residents and ensuring that the men and women of our Police Department have the tools, resources and training they need to be effective crime fighters, stay safe, and build community trust.”

In the wake of the release of the McDonald video, Emanuel fired Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.  Emanuel has also ousted Scott Ando as the Chief Administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority, which has been criticized for not taking more decisive action against officers accused of misconduct.   Emanuel is replacing Ando with Sharon Fairley, who is currently First Deputy and General Counsel of the city’s Office of the Inspector General after having served as an Assistant United States Attorney for eight years.

In addition to the Civil Rights probe Lynch announced, she also confirmed that the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois is investigating the McDonald shooting itself.   Chicago U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon, who stood by Lynch at the press conference, refused to elaborate on his investigation, how long it will take, or whether it could result in obstruction of justice charges against the officers who were at the scene of the McDonald shooting.  This past weekend, we learned those officers wrote reports that supported Van Dyke’s version of the story that McDonald was charging towards him with a knife, a fact that the video shows did not happen.

The Federal civil rights investigation is similar to ones recently undertaken in other cities, including Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri.    It could result in the Chicago Police being forced to operate under the terms of a court order, if the federal probe finds Chicago Police have violated the U.S. Constitution.

 

© WLS-AM 890 News

UPDATE: 3 arrested as Laquan McDonald protesters block shoppers

UPDATES WITH ARRESTS, NEW DETAILS

A group of protesters cut off the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s speech on Laquan McDonald’s deadly shooting short Friday when they pulled the leader’s microphone and stormed the stairs where he spoke outside the historic Water Tower, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

“Indict Rahm!” the protesters shouted as a brief shoving match ensued.

Jackson and others who were ready to speak stopped their activities as the masses hijacked Jackson’s presentation, and competed with the shoppers who flocked downtown to advantage of Black Friday sales.

“No justice, no shopping,” some chanted. “Black lives matter not Black Friday!”

Others screamed, “16 shots, 13 months,” pointing to how long it took authorities to charge Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke in the African-American teenager’s death. McDonald’s body was shot 16 times.

“We want Rahm Emanuel in jail,” others said. They also chanted, “Black out Black Friday” and “The whole system is guilty as hell.”

A unity march, which started at Pioneer Court, was organized by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. But other groups, including one shouting “Black Power” and carrying red, green and black flags, were protesting the murder as well, and attempted at times to disrupt the PUSH group.

For several hours on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Michigan Avenue was effectively shut down from the river through a few blocks north of the water towers.

And about 10 protesters later made it onto Lake Shore Drive at Michigan Avenue, linking hands and chanting “Sixteen shots!” They halted traffic for about 10 minutes, before police ran toward them. The group then dropped hands and ran, eluding police.

Three people had been arrested in the protests as of 4:30 p.m., according to police. Misdemeanor charges of simple battery and traffic-related offenses were pending.

During Friday’s demonstration, officers blocked off the entrance of Water Tower Place. Some protesters had apparently tried to get into the popular shopping center.

At one point, shoppers were turned away from entering. “No justice, no profit,” marchers screamed.

Some protesters yelled at shoppers in front of Topshop, “Don’t shop today!” But the shoppers went in anyway.

There were some demonstrators who linked their arms in front of many stores, refusing to let anyone in. Several shoving matches broke out.

Paxton Murphy of Chicago’s South Loop said she was shoved and “forcibly pushed back as she was trying to enter the Crate and Barrel store, 646 N. Michigan.

“I’m totally, totally sick of these kids getting killed,” she said, “but that has nothing to do with me using the bathroom at the f—— Crate and Barrel.”

A block north outside the Tiffany & Co store, 730 N. Michigan, seven protesters locked arms, telling potential customers, “It’s closed,” and chanting, “While you shop, people get shot.”

A Tiffany security guard tried to help a customer push past them but a protester bumped into the guard.

“You can’t elbow her,”  an African-American woman walking by called out. “You’re going to get yourself arrested.”

Later, another Tiffany customer demanded to get past protesters but protesters refused. The woman
became angry, and tried to push past. Police quickly ran over and tried to help her get into the store. That sparked a pushing and shoving melee between police and protesters, as police pushed and pulled the woman into the entrance where a frantic manager grabbed her I and pulled her inside.

Police and protesters got in each other’s faces for about 10 minutes before the tension quelled. Officers stepped back into their observation line, and protesters again blocked the entrance, chanting, ” Sixteen shots and a cover-up!”  And, “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Rahm Emanuel has got to go!”

About 20 protesters blocked the doors of the Apple Store, 679 N Michigan.

“I understand what you guys are doing but I want to shop,” Bruno Behrend of River Forest told them.

“This is an example of white privilege,” someone yelled.

Then La’Mont Williams, 27, told him: “This store is closed because your life matters. We are doing an economic boycott.”

Williams of the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood blocked the door. Behrend and his family eventually gave up and left, prompting cheers from the protesters.

A man and woman from Omaha, Nebraska, failed to get into the Tommy Bahama store, 520 N. Michigan. They’d been visiting their daughter, who’s a resident in the emergency room at Stroger Hospital.

“This is not right,” said the woman, who declined to give her name. ” We didn’t do anything wrong. We just want to shop. This is our right.”

A couple from Carbondale traveled to came to Michigan Avenue Friday to shop at Zara and Sephora. They didn’t get into either.  ”How are they going to get out?” Ohlim Kwon wondered about shoppers trapped inside the Zara, where protesters locked arms, saying “Shut it down.”

When told about McDonald’s shooting death, they were astounded. “That’s crazy,” Enoch Hwang said.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Police released a graphic dashcam video that captured the 16 shots fired by Van Dyke in October 2014. Van Dyke was charged the same day with murder, and is being held without bail in the Cook County Jail.

Outrage and protests followed the court-ordered release of the footage.

— Chicago Sun-Times, Sun-Times Media Wire

UPDATE: Laquan McDonald protesters block shoppers, cut off Jesse Jackson

(CHICAGO) A group of protesters cut off the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s speech on Laquan McDonald’s deadly shooting Friday when they pulled the leader’s microphone and stormed the podium while he spoke outside the historic Water Tower, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

“Indict Rahm!” the protesters shouted as a brief shoving match ensued.

Jackson and others who were scheduled to speak stopped their activities as the masses hijacked Jackson’s presentation and competed with the shoppers who flocked downtown to take advantage of Black Friday sales.

“No justice, no shopping,” some chanted. “Black lives matter, not Black Friday!”

Others screamed, “16 shots, 13 months,” pointing to how long it took authorities to charge Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke in the African-American teenager’s death.

“We want Rahm Emanuel in jail,” others said. They also chanted, “Black out Black Friday” and “The whole system is guilty as hell.”

A unity march, which started at Pioneer Court, was organized by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. But other groups, including one called “Black Power” were protesting the murder as well.

During Friday’s demonstration, officers blocked off the entrance of the Water Tower Place. Some protesters had apparently tried to get into the popular shopping center.

At one point, shoppers were turned away from entering. “No justice, no profit,” marchers screamed.

Some protesters yelled at shoppers in front of Topshop, “Don’t shop today!” But the shoppers went in anyway.

There were some demonstrators who linked their arms in front of many stores, refusing to let anyone in.

Several police officers lined up across the doors of Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue to let people pass in and out.

A couple from Carbondale came to Michigan Avenue Friday to go Zara and Sephora. They didn’t get into to either.

When told about McDonald’s shooting death, they were astounded. “That’s crazy,” Enoch Hwang said.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Police released a graphic dashcam video that captured the 16 shots fired by Van Dyke in October 2014. Van Dyke was charged the same day.

Outrage and protests followed the court-ordered release of the footage.

Top Cop on Video Release: We’re Prepared for Demonstrations

 

Jason VanDyke   Photo courtesy of the Cook County States Attorney office.
Jason VanDyke Photo courtesy of the Cook County States Attorney office.

 

By Bill Cameron, WLS News

(CHICAGO) Now that Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy says he’s preparing for the release of the dash-cam video that caught the officer allegedly shooting McDonald 16 times.

McCarthy says, “I anticipate it’s going to be busy.”

“We’re prepared for demonstrations, let’s put it that way,” McCarthy said. “As we have we’ve fine tuned our plan over the last almost five years that we’ve been here and you’ve watched it happen, you’ve watched the way that we handled it and my mantra is going to be the same one that it always is, which is really simple; we’re going to facilitate and protect people’s First Amendment right to free speech and were going to be intolerant of criminal behavior.”

Listen to Police Supt, McCarthy’s statement to Bill cameron for WLS News:

McCarthy is also reconciling his defense of acquitted detective Dante Servin last April in another police killing with his decision now to seek Servin’s dismissal. He says it’s the difference between criminal charges last April and administrative charges now.

@ 2015 WLS News