Laquan McDonald

People

Laquan McDonald

Outcome

unknown

On October 20, 2014, shortly before 10:00 p.m., Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old Black teenager, was shot and killed by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke on South Pulaski Road on Chicago's Southwest Side. Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times in a matter of seconds—many of the bullets striking McDonald after he had already fallen to the ground. Van Dyke emptied his gun's magazine and was reloading when his partner told him to stop. Police had been called to investigate reports that McDonald was carrying a knife and breaking into vehicles in a trucking yard at 41st Street and Kildare Avenue. McDonald was carrying a 3-inch folding knife and was walking in the street when officers arrived. Toxicology reports later revealed that McDonald had PCP in his system. The Chicago police union initially claimed McDonald was armed, ignored police orders to drop his weapon, and lunged at officers. However, this account was contradicted by dashcam video, which showed McDonald walking away from Van Dyke—not lunging at him—when the officer opened fire. The dashcam video was withheld from the public for 13 months. On November 24, 2015, after intense pressure from activists and journalists, a court ordered the city to release the footage. The release sparked weeks of protests across Chicago and gave rise to the rallying cry "16 shots and a cover-up." The case marked the first time in nearly 35 years that a Chicago police officer had been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty fatality. On October 5, 2018, Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, but was acquitted of official misconduct. On January 18, 2019, he was sentenced to 81 months (nearly seven years) in prison. Van Dyke served approximately three years before being released in February 2022. The case led to sweeping consequences for Chicago's criminal justice system: Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez was ousted by voters, and a U.S. Justice Department investigation found a "pervasive cover-up culture" within the Chicago Police Department, resulting in a federal consent decree mandating police reforms.