In what's likely to only fuel tension between law enforcement and the black community, three officers have been acquitted in connection to the death of Laquan McDonald, who back in 2014 was shot 16 times by police in the south side of Chicago.
Police had been responding to a call that reported a man was breaking into trucks and stealing radios, yet due to the evidence from dash-cam and surveillance footage, it seemed clear that the circumstances did not call for the police to use deadly force.
The video evidence contradicted initial statements made by the officers involved, who claimed that the 17-year-old McDonald was threatening the officers with a knife, while the footage showed he was walking away from the police when he was shot. The officers were then subsequently accused of damaging the audio of the dash-cam, and tampering with the surveillance footage that came from a nearby Burger King.
James Van Dyke was the officer who fired all 16 shots at McDonald as he allegedly refused his commands, all of which were fired consecutively in under 15 seconds, all within the first minute Van Dyke had arrived on the scene. For his conduct, Van Dyke was found guilty in October for second-degree murder and aggravated battery, and is scheduled to be formally sentenced today.
Meanwhile, however, three other officers have been absolved of any wrongdoing in respects to the alleged cover-up, as Judge Domenica Stephenson said there was no such reason to suggest that the accused officers tried to hide any evidence.
The judge further elaborated to say that she could see why the "officers reasonably believed an attack was imminent," further adding that McDonald continued to move after being shot. Despite that interpretation, it's important to note that McDonald seemed to only be moving due to excessively being shot at an accelerated rate.
As a response to the verdict, McDonald's family is reportedly outraged, with his great uncle, Rev. Marvin Hunter, telling reporters that “to say that these men are not guilty is to say that Jason Van Dyke is not guilty.” He later added that police officers can apparently "lie, cheat, and steal" without consequences, before concluding that this was a "sad day for America."
The latest developments are likely to revitalize protests that have taken place over the years, with activist Eric Russell pledging that “We will be down here tomorrow by the hundreds, and we will cry out for justice for Laquan."
Source: instagram.com
