In Chicago, the former police officer who shot and killed Black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014 walked free from prison Thursday. Jason Van Dyke, who is white, served a little over three years — less than half his nearly seven-year prison sentence — before being released for good behavior. Van Dyke shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, but the Chicago Police Department attempted to cover up the events, with the help of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Activists are now calling for federal charges against Van Dyke. Several protests took place in Chicago yesterday, including in front of the Federal Plaza. This is Bishop Tavis Grant of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Bishop Tavis Grant: “We know that night 12 officers were on the scene who did not render any aid to Laquan McDonald, and he died on the street. We know that reports were falsified. We know that witnesses were tampered with. And we know that the video was suppressed by the City Hall for over 400 days. Sixteen shots and a cover-up.”
Rev. Jesse Jackson was also present. He hand-delivered a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago backing the call for federal charges. Later in the broadcast, we’ll speak to community organizer Will Calloway, who pushed for the release of the video showing Laquan McDonald’s murder. We’ll also be joined by Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake.