Laquan McDonald

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No Federal Charges for Cop Who Killed Laquan McDonald

Jason Van Dyke was released in February after being convicted of 2014 murder

(Newser) - Federal authorities on Monday said they will not criminally charge Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer convicted of murder in the 2014 shooting death of Black teenager Laquan McDonald. The US Attorney's Office in Chicago said in a news release that the decision was made after consulting...

Ex-Officer's Release Angers Chicagoans

Jason Van Dyke served less than half his sentence for killing a Black teenager

(Newser) - Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke left prison on Thursday after serving less than half of his nearly seven-year sentence for killing Black teenager Laquan McDonald, angering community leaders who feel the white officer's punishment didn't fit his crime. Van Dyke was released at 12:15am from...

'Final Punishment' Comes in Laquan McDonald Case

4 Chicago cops are fired for allegedly trying to justify Jason Van Dyke's actions

(Newser) - It's been nearly five years since 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was fatally shot by a Chicago cop, and four cops are just now learning the consequences of their actions in the aftermath of his death. The Chicago Tribune reports three on-the-scene officers have just now been fired for allegedly falsifying...

High Court Won't Re-Sentence Cop Who Killed Laquan McDonald

Jason Van Dyke's 7-year sentence is allowed to stand

(Newser) - The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand a prison sentence of less than seven years for a white Chicago police officer convicted of killing black teenager Laquan McDonald that many criticized as far too lenient. The high court offered no explanation for its 4-2 decision that denied a rare...

Ex-Cop Who Shot Chicago Teen Beaten in Prison: Lawyer

Jason Van Dyke's wife: 'We are all petrified and in fear for Jason's life'

(Newser) - The former police officer who killed Chicago teen Laquan McDonald just started serving time in his almost seven-year sentence, but he's already run into trouble. Jennifer Blagg, one of Jason Van Dyke's defense lawyers, tells USA Today her client was assaulted by other inmates after being moved from...

Ex-Cop Who Shot Laquan McDonald Hears His Fate

Jason Van Dyke gets just shy of 7 years in prison at sentencing; he could be out in 3, analyst says

(Newser) - The former Chicago cop who gunned down black teen Laquan McDonald heard his fate Friday, and per the Chicago Tribune , it was a "relatively lenient sentence." The paper says Jason Van Dyke was "stoic" as Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan handed down his prison term on...

Chicago Officer Convicted of Murder for Shooting Black Teen

Jason Van Dyke convicted in the death of Laquan McDonald

(Newser) - A jury on Friday convicted white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke of second-degree murder in the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald , the AP reports. Van Dyke had been charged with first-degree murder in the October 2014 killing, a charge that requires a finding that the shooting was...

3 Cops Accused of Cover-Up in Laquan McDonald Shooting

Chicago officers face multiple charges in 2014 death of black teen

(Newser) - Three current and former Chicago police officers have been charged with attempting to cover for former Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times while he walked away. The Chicago Tribune reports David March, Joseph Walsh, and Thomas Gaffney have been charged with conspiracy, official misconduct, and...

DOJ: Chicago PD Rife With Racial Bias, Excessive Force

Discrimination, use of excessive force, poor training among long-awaited report's findings

(Newser) - What USA Today describes as a "scathing report" about Chicago police was released Friday by the Justice Department, with findings of rampant racial bias (including a finding of "reasonable cause" that excessive force was used against minorities), shoddy training, and the mishandling of cops accused of misconduct, per...

Chicago's 2016 Murders: More Than NY, LA Combined

Cops blamed 'emboldened' criminals

(Newser) - One of the most violent years in Chicago history ended with a sobering tally: 762 homicides, the most in two decades in the city and more than New York and Los Angeles combined. The nation's third largest city also saw 1,100 more shooting incidents last year than it...

Chicago Chief: Cop Wary of Pulling Gun Nearly Died

Officer was beaten unconscious, didn't want national scrutiny

(Newser) - With a new police shooting in the news seemingly every week, some officers are starting to doubt themselves and put their own lives at risk, says Chicago's police chief. Superintendent Eddie Johnson said one of his officers was beaten to unconsciousness by a man under the influence of PCP...

Top Cop Wants 7 Officers Fired in Laquan McDonald's Killing

They're accused of filing false reports to cover up what actually happened

(Newser) - Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson recommended Thursday that seven officers be fired for their roles in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald , the Chicago Tribune reports. According to the AP , the officers are accused of violating Rule 14 against making false reports. Video released of the October...

Tamir Rice Family to Get $6M From Cleveland

City agrees to settle federal lawsuit over boy's shooting

(Newser) - The city of Cleveland will pay the family of Tamir Rice $6 million over the boy's fatal shooting in 2014, reports CNN . The payment settles a federal lawsuit filed by the family after a trainee police officer shot and killed Tamir at a city park. Under the settlement—Tamir'...

Police Union Hires Chicago Cop Charged With Murder

Jason Van Dyke is making $12 an hour as a 'jack-of-all-trades'

(Newser) - Jason Van Dyke , the white Chicago police officer charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of black teen Laquan McDonald , has a new gig with the police union: janitor. The AP reports Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police hired Van Dyke—who is on unpaid leave from the...

Report: Chicago Cops Hide, Break, Disable Dashcam Microphones

That's why we don't have audio from the shooting of Laquan McDonald

(Newser) - The Chicago Police Department has a dashcam problem. DNAinfo Chicago looked at 1,800 police maintenance logs and found officers were preventing their dashcams from recording audio by stowing microphones in the glove compartment, removing batteries, and breaking antennas. And that's when the microphones were even present in the...

Lawyers Say Police Threatened Witnesses, Faked Statements in Teen's Shooting

'Outright lies to cover up [the] illegal shooting' of Laquan McDonald

(Newser) - Attorneys for the family of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald , who was fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in 2014, say police threatened at least three witnesses and tried to get them to change their stories to match the official account, CNN reports. They also allege police faked accounts when witnesses...

Cop Who Shot Laquan McDonald Enters Plea

Jason Van Dyke pleads not guilty to first-degree murder; next hearing is Jan. 29

(Newser) - Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct in the shooting of Laquan McDonald in October 2014. Van Dyke—whose lawyers say shot the 17-year-old 16 times because he feared for his life—made his first...

Rahm Emanuel: I'm Not Resigning

Chicago mayor fends off question in wake of police video

(Newser) - If Rahm Emanuel thought firing his police chief would relieve the pressure on him in Chicago over a police shooting, he learned otherwise Wednesday at a testy breakfast in which he was hit with questions about whether he would resign, reports Politico . "No," was the answer to journalists....

Mayor Emanuel: Chicago Police Chief Is Out

Superintendent Garry McCarthy is fired in wake of Laquan McDonald video

(Newser) - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Tuesday the firing of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, the AP reports, just a week after the release of dashcam video that showed the 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald at the hands of Officer Jason Van Dyke. "This morning, I formally asked for [McCarthy'...

Cop Seen Checking Burger King's Laquan Footage

Source says FBI found no evidence the video was tampered with

(Newser) - Photos may back up a Burger King manager's story that Chicago police officers deleted 86 minutes of surveillance video from the night Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times. Screen grabs from a camera inside an office at the eatery show at least one officer at a computer terminal on...

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