CHICAGO (CBS) — Sunday marks 10 years since the killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.
The only video anyone could find that captured the 16 gunshots that killed McDonald at 40th Street and Pulaski Road in the Archer Heights neighborhood came from a police car dashcam.
A professor at the University of Chicago called for the video’s release in December 2014.
In April 2015, the city of Chicago reached a $5 million settlement with McDonald’s family, and that month the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed it was investigating McDonald’s death.
The court-ordered release of dashcam video showing Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times proved to be a turning point in the McDonald case. It sent shockwaves that reverberated from City Hall, where a police commissioner was set to be fired, to the ouster of a prosecutor criticized for her handling of the case, to countless protests invoking McDonald’s name in a call for justice.
It wasn’t until August 2015 that journalist Brandon Smith sued to have the dashcam video released. In November 2015, a Cook County judge ordered the release of the dashcam video, sparking protests across the city. Later that month, Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
Van Dyke was convicted of manslaughter in 2018 and served just over three years in prison.
McDonald’s murder led to a Justice Department investigation and ordered police reforms, including body cameras on every police officer throughout the city.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement on Sunday:
Ten years ago, we mourned with the McDonald family when Chicago learned of the tragic loss of their son, brother and friend Laquan. Laquan McDonald deserved better from the city of Chicago, and ten years after his tragic death, we are still fighting for equitable community safety.
Over the past decade, Chicago has created a new ecosystem of police accountability with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, created to ensure that allegations of police misconduct are independently and fairly investigated. The city has committed to releasing footage of officer-involved shootings and other serious incidents within 60 days. Driven by the passion and commitment of advocates and residents, the Community Commission on Public Safety and Accountability established the Community Commission on Public Safety and Accountability to strengthen police accountability and build mutual trust between police officers and residents.
The City of Chicago also signed a Consent Decree, a court order mandating reforms to ensure that the Chicago Police Department conducts constitutional and effective policing that keeps both community members and officers safe and restores community trust in the police . The City intends to prioritize the investments necessary to quickly achieve full compliance with the Consent Decree.
Laquan McDonald’s death was one of the darkest moments in our city’s history, but from that tragedy came a transformation that is moving us forward. We continue to hold the McDonald family in our hearts, remain inspired by their resilience and courage, and continue to work toward the bold reforms needed to achieve a better, stronger, and safer Chicago.
