Laquan McDonald
| Date | October 20, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:57:36–9:57:54 p.m. (CDT) |
| Location | 4100 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°49′04.7″N 87°43′26.4″W / 41.817972°N 87.724000°WCoordinates: 41°49′04.7″N 87°43′26.4″W / 41.817972°N 87.724000°W |
| Filmed by | Police cruiser dashboard cameras |
| Participants |
|
| Deaths | Laquan McDonald |
| Accused | Jason Van Dyke |
| Charges | First-degree murder Official misconduct |
The shooting of Laquan McDonald took place on October 20, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois. McDonald was shot by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke from approximately ten feet (3 m) away. After investigation, Officer Van Dyke was charged in November 2015 with first-degree murder and initially held without bail at the Cook County Jail. He was released on bail on November 30. The city reached a settlement with McDonald's family.
Subsequent protests denounced McDonald's death and demanded changes in police and judicial procedure, and for the dismissal or resignation of city and county officials. Cook's County State Attorney Anita Alvarez lost her bid for re-election in 2016, but Rahm Emanuel won a second term in 2015 as Mayor of Chicago.
At the request of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the United States Department of Justice initiated a civil rights investigation into McDonald's death and the activities of the Chicago Police Department. It released its report in January 2017, describing the police as having a culture of "excessive violence," especially against minority suspects, and of having poor training and supervision. DOJ and city officials have signed an agreement for a plan for improvement to be overseen by the courts.
On June 27, 2017, three Chicago police officers were indicted for charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and official misconduct for allegedly attempting to cover up the events surrounding the shooting.
Laquan McDonald (September 25, 1997 – October 20, 2014) was from the 37th Ward of Chicago. He was born to a teenage mother and absent father. From the age of three, McDonald lived in different relatives' homes and foster care because the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) determined that his mother did not provide him with proper supervision. At the time of his death, he was a student at Sullivan House High School, was a ward of the state and had multiple juvenile arrests. According to the Chicago Tribune, "few were surprised when he (McDonald) grew into an often angry teen who embraced the drugs and gangs that made up the brutal landscape of his West Side neighborhood. McDonald had learning disabilities and was diagnosed with complex mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. He had school suspensions, expulsions, truancies and drug possession arrests and was in and out of juvenile detention."
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