IPOThe killing of Laquan McDonald in 2014 triggered months of protests for justice in Chicago. Laqaun’s executor was Officer Jason Van Dyke. As video’s of the incident surfaced the internet at the time, it showed Laqaun Mcdonald holding a knife, yet walking away from the police. When Van Dyke pulled up to the scene he immediately opened fire before examining the situation, resulting in Laqaun’s death.
In October 2018 a jury convicted officer, Jason Van Dyke, of second-degree murder for firing 16 bullets into 17-year-old McDonald. According to records Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer in 50 years to be imprisoned for an on-duty shooting, and is currently serving time behind bars and awaiting sentencing.
In 2016 an internal report recommended eleven rank-and-file and commanding officers, be fired. Three of those Officers are facing possible cover up charges, David March, Joseph Walsh, and Thomas Gaffney. David March is the detective assigned to investigate the shooting. Joseph Walsh is Van Dyke’s partner at the scene.Thomas Gaffney is one of the first officers to respond to a report of an armed McDonald attempting to burglarize a truck.
David March’s lawyer claims the officers could not have been attempting a cover up because they preserved the dash-cam video and other evidence for scrutiny. The three charged officers are said to be willing to forgo a jury trial in favor of letting presiding Judge Domenica Stephenson decide the evidence against them.
