The Laquan McDonald EXECUTION by the Chicago Police Department

Posted on November 25, 2015 by rikyrah

laquan mcdonald

 

I will not put the video in the main post. It will be in the replies.

But, make no mistake, this young man was EXECUTED.

I would like to thank Liza for the hat tip to this story.

My questions are as follows:
1. Where is the original 9-1-1 call about Laquan. In it, it should state WHERE the person is calling from.
2. Linked to #1, does the original 9-1-1 call send the officers to the place where Laquan died,

OR….

Like I heard yesterday on WVON, Laquan’s cousin called into the station and stated that the ORIGINAL 9-1-1 call was from somewhere else, and that they picked up Laquan and took him NOT: a) to the police station, or, if they were concerned about some ‘drug incident’, b) to a local hospital…
But, to the location where they told him to get out of the car.

3. WHY would police officers take someone to a different location and tell them to get out of the car?

4. What happened to the footage from the Burger King?
5. Who signed for the footage from the Burger King?
6. Who had physical custody of the footage from the Burger King?
Police have to fill out reports for everything, so you’re telling me that they took custody of evidence and NOBODY had to fill out a report for it?
7. WHY did it take this long for charges to be brought up on the officer?
8. Does anyone remotely believe that charges would have been brought if not for the release of the video?

………………….

The article in question:

How Chicago tried to cover up a police execution
By Curtis Black | 20 hours ago

It was just about a year ago that a city whistleblower came to journalist Jamie Kalven and attorney Craig Futterman out of concern that Laquan McDonald’s shooting a few weeks earlier “wasn’t being vigorously investigated,” as Kalven recalls. The source told them “that there was a video and that it was horrific,” he said.

Without that whistleblower—and without that video—it’s highly unlikely that Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke would be facing first-degree murder charges today.

“When it was first reported it was a typical police shooting story,” Kalven said, where police claim self-defense and announce an investigation, and “at that point the story disappears.” And, typically, a year or 18 months later, the Independent Police Review Authority confirms the self-defense claim, and “by then no one remembers the initial incident.”

“There are an average of 50 police shootings of civilians every year in Chicago, and no one is ever charged,” said Futterman. “Without the video, this would have been just one more of 50 such incidents, where the police blotter defines the narrative and nothing changes.”

Last December, Kalven and Futterman issued a statement revealing the existence of a dash-cam video and calling for its release. Kalven tracked down a witness to the shooting, who said he and other witnesses had been “shooed away” from the scene with no statements or contact information taken.

In February, Kalven obtained a copy of McDonald’s autopsy, which contradicted the official story that McDonald had died of a single gunshot to the chest. In fact, he’d been shot 16 times—as Van Dyke unloaded his service revolver, execution style—while McDonald lay on the ground.

The next month, the City Council approved a $5 million settlement with McDonald’s family, whose attorneys had obtained the video. They said it showed McDonald walking away from police at the time of the shooting, contradicting the police story that he was threatening or had “lunged at” cops. The settlement included a provision keeping the video confidential.

The Rest of the story is at the link.

This entry was posted in Criminal Justice, Institutional Racism, Justice, Open Thread, Police bruality, Police violence, Racial Profiling and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

56 Responses to The Laquan McDonald EXECUTION by the Chicago Police Department

  10. rikyrah says:
    November 27, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Rugged Amethyst @GrooveSDC
    Fox Anchor: “The Most Important Message” Of Laquan McDonald’s Death Is To Obey Police http://mm4a.org/1Nt12ju

    Reply
  15. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 27, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    “American Skin (41 Shots)”

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      November 26, 2015 at 11:38 am

      I have this feeling of being shocked and not shocked simultaneously. These cops destroy evidence and obstruct justice with such ease, like they do it every day. The dashcam video somehow survives, it totally contradicts the fictitious yet official narrative about why Laquan was killed by a cop, and they think all of this is okay. It’s business as usual.

      The DOJ has been investigating for seven months. Where’s the report?

      Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    10 THINGS YOUR BITCH ASS BETTER NOT DO AT THANKSGIVING DINNER
    Damon Young, 11/23/15

    20 years or so ago, Thanksgiving officially surpassed Christmas as my favorite holiday. Because that’s around the time “food” finally surpassed “new wallets and sweaters from The Gap” on my importance scale.
    Anyway, if you don’t want to ruin it for everyone, here’s what not to do.
    1. Undercook the turkey
    Unlike other family gatherings where food is involved — Memorial Day BBQs, Juneteenth Clam Bakes, etc — the turkey acts as a singular fulcrum. Your 4th of July won’t be ruined if someone allowed their pug to shit on all the hot dogs, because there’s still steak and burgers and shit. But, although there will be other meats on the Thanksgiving table, the turkey is the main attraction. The Beyonce. And when its ruined, everything is ruined by default.
    Also, you don’t want to serve people bloody Beyonce and have everyone leave with tongue gout.
    2. Say the food will be ready at 4…and have it not ready until 7:46
    If you’re like me, you starve yourself the morning of Thanksgiving. Because there’s no point in eating my customary hotcakes and shrimp if I’ll need all that room in my belly for 3 o’clock. Which is why you can’t be fucking with people’s emotions and hunger pains by making us wait for hours — sitting in front of a TV watching Hitch and eating honey roasted peanuts and olives and shit — because your bitch ass still don’t know how long it takes to smoke a ham.
    3. Argue with your crazy as fuck family members
    Look, we all know Aunt Ann has been batshit her entire life. She sprays OFF! indoors, her car has no rearview mirrors, and, while watching the AMAs yesterday, she kept screaming “SHE’S A TERRORIST!!!!” whenever J-Lo was on screen. So what good does it really do to confront her when she makes an offhand comment at dinner about Spanx and homosexual geese? You’re only going to see her once this year, so just shake your head and hide her OFF! when she’s not looking.

    http://verysmartbrothas.com/10-things-your-bitch-ass-better-not-do-at-thanksgiving-dinner/

    Reply
  29. Liza says:
    November 25, 2015 at 5:52 pm

    Uh, y’all, I didn’t know this until two minutes ago:

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, November 24, 2015
    U.S. Attorney’s Office Provides Update on Investigation into the Shooting Death of Laquan McDonald

    CHICAGO — On April 13, 2015, this Office announced a joint federal and state investigation into the October 20, 2014, fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. Both before and since that announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners have been conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the shooting.

    The federal investigation of the shooting remains active and ongoing.

    http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/us-attorneys-office-provides-update-investigation-shooting-death-laquan-mcdonald-0

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      November 25, 2015 at 5:56 pm

      Alright, DOJ Northern District of Illinois, you’ve been on this since last April, seven months ago by my calculation. What do you know? You must know something by now, I would think.

      ** ready to scream **

      Reply
      • Liza says:
        November 25, 2015 at 6:04 pm

        Original announcement of DOJ investigation.

        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
        Monday, April 13, 2015
        U.S. Attorney’s Office And Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Conducting Joint Investigation Of Police Shooting Death

        CHICAGO — Federal officials confirmed today that they are conducting a criminal investigation into the death of Laquan McDonald, 17, who died on Oct. 20, 2014, during an encounter with Chicago Police. McDonald, who was armed with a knife, was near West 41st Street and South Pulaski Road on the city’s southwest side, when he was shot and killed during an encounter with police.

        United States Attorney Zachary T. Fardon confirmed the investigation along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Holley and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. The joint investigation is being led by the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the Independent Police Review Authority, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

        http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/us-attorney-s-office-and-cook-county-state-s-attorney-s-office-conducting-joint

        Reply
  31. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 25, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    Please donate to @muckrakery. He’s the journalist who filed a lawsuit to release video of #LaquanMcDonald shooting.

    https://www.gofundme.com/42by3nhb

    Reply
  32. Liza says:
    November 25, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    I’m all in favor of lopping off some heads and watching them roll downhill, but I want to see the DOJ take this on. The corruption here is just too egregious and too deep. No one without subpoena power is going to get the whole truth.

    The @nationalbar & @AttorneyCrump call for the resignations of Chicago's Police Superintendent & State Prosecutor. pic.twitter.com/gq4BB61M2Y— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 25, 2015

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      November 25, 2015 at 5:58 pm

      It turns out the DOJ has been investigating since last April. I didn’t know.

      Reply
      • Dallas Newton says:
        November 26, 2015 at 2:25 am

        Sounds like the Natasha Mckenna torture/murder case. The DOJ is still investigating that case too. The release of that tape however, was never covered by the main stream media, or even most Black media for that matter. Perhaps because of the sexual depravity the content of the Mckenna tape exposed and the long length of her torture. The content of that tape would raise multiple questions that would trip up the sheriff and prosecutor, who are both Democrats.

        Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    Activist/Journalist responsible for the release of the Laquan McDonald video speaks out

    Today’s indictment of Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke on a first-degree murder charge and the release of the video showing him shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times is the result of activst/journalist Jamie Kalven, who fought for months to get the Chicago Police Department to release the video.

    When the incident happened in October 2014, it was widely reported as a man with a knife who was shot by an officer fearing for his safety and the safety of his fellow officers. The mainstream press reported it and moved on. Kalven himself didn’t think much more of the incident at first, until a source within the City tipped him off that there was more to it and that there was a video that showed that the police version of events was not credible.

    The Chicago Ambassador spoke to Kalven today about the video, the city’s response since October 2014, the failure of the mainstream press on this story, and what he would like to see happen now.

    CA) Do you call yourself a journalist or an activist?

    KALVEN) I’m a writer. I’m a writer who has also been an advocate, really much in the vein of what I think of a writer under the first amendment. Nobody knows how to describe me, least of all myself.

    CA) The thing that sticks out to me about this whole thing is how the mainstream Chicago press handled it. It looks like they reported the police version and let the story die. Are you disappointed in them?

    KALVEN) Yeah. I include myself frankly, even though I’ve been on the story for some time. There are roughly 40 to 50 police shootings a year in Chicago, not all ending in fatalities. When I last looked at the numbers, 85 percent of those shot were African Americans. There’s a basic recipe for how these stories are reported and Laquan McDonald was a perfect example. ‘Black youth, shot on the Southwest Side…’ Pat Camden, long-time police spokesman who now works for the police union, is at the scene saying that it was an act of self-defense by the officer. In this case the narrative was that a young man with a knife lunged at the officer. The police officer, protecting himself and his fellow officers, shot him and he died sometime later. The press release wasn’t as colorful as Camden’s account but it was the same storyline. The press basically reports that. In less than 24-hours, that story disappears. The last line in stories like that is usually ‘The Independent Police Review Board is investigating.’ Investigations usually take average 18-months for police shootings. By the time they come back with a finding, and their findings with one or two exceptions have all been that the shooting is justified, it’s old news. That happens again and again and again. I wish I could take credit as a reporter smelling something when I first heard about this case, but weeks later in November [2014], I got a tip from somebody close to the investigation who told me that it was horrific and that there was video. At that point, I began to look into the case and found a civilian witness and began to build my own understanding of what happened. My colleague, civil rights attorney Craig Futterman and I released a statement letting the world know there was a video and calling on the Emanuel administration to release the video, making an argument that it is public information and that the public should have access to it. I completely agree with your assessment that the media has failed to do the hard reporting on this case. What the city is engaged in, and they are doing it now in a different way — we’ve talked about the code of silence within the police department. It’s not so much a code of silence than a strategy of narrative control.

    https://thechicagoambassador.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/activistjournalist-responsible-for-the-release-of-the-laquan-mcdonald-video-speaks-out/

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    From Chuy Garcia’s FB page:

    Four hundred days. That is too long for justice to be served for Laquan McDonald and his family. It is too long to bring to light the dashcam video of Laquan’s final moments. And, it is too long to wait before we heard directly and fully from Mayor Emanuel, State’s Attorney Alvarez and Police Superintendent McCarthy. It is only yesterday when we finally heard answers to questions that Chicagoans have been asking. This painstaking delay is especially poignant for communities of color and areas of concentrated poverty that do not feel that they are being well served by Chicago’s police department. Four hundreds days of silence by those who have primary responsibility for the safety of Chicagoans simply reinforces distrust in the very institutions that they oversee. Significant reforms must be undertaken now or that distrust will be irreversible.

    The motto of the Chicago police department is “We Serve and Protect.” The inaction of the last 400 days begs the question as to what is being served and protected. We need to change the culture that protects the bad apples who act without regard to life and who bring dishonor to law enforcement. It is time for leaders who have been unwilling to listen to communities of color to return the idea of service to its rightful place. My experience in Little Village where we have worked hard to bring the community and police together shows that local solutions can work and that public service, not rogue terror, will bring about constructive change.

    But, it does not stop at the community level. We also need to change a criminal justice system that allows this type of slow-walked justice to occur. It is true that the City Council quickly settled the civil matter with the family of Laquan, but the action by Officer Van Dyck on South Pulaski Road last year is not a private matter between the shooter and the victim. It is a Chicago matter that reflects on all of criminal justice. Reforms must be systemic.

    It begins with listening and acting on the demands of Chicagoans. Young African American and Latino men and boys are most likely to suffer violent deaths or be incarcerated. And yet, we hear a lot of lip service when protesters take to the streets. The phrase, “Black Lives Matter,” is not a statement that other lives do not matter. It tells us that Black lives have not mattered – and continue to not matter – but must matter if we are to have a justice system that serves all. It is a matter of human dignity, respect and recognition of true American values. So, we must give special focus to righting the injustices that have been and continue to be felt, especially by African American Chicagoans.

    What our police do and act must also be reformed. It starts with training that is reinforced at every level of the department. There is no tougher job than being a police officer. They need the best training, the best equipment, and the best management. They need to know what is expected and be given every chance to succeed. They must also know that the public will have their backs when they stay within the rules. But, they also must know that individuals and the system as a whole will be held accountable when the rules are not followed.Last night’s events show us that body cameras with audio need to be adopted universally. Dashcams needs to be one of several views of police actions on the street. These are important teaching tools. These tools will help provide answers to questions of “what happened?” and “how did it happen?”

    We also need a civilian oversight board that is representative of all communities in Chicago and is given the teeth and independence to take action against the few rogue police officers who have acted dishonorably and illegally. The recent series by WBEZ on investigations of questioned police actions shows that the current system needs to be assessed and reformed.

    Finally, the key actors in the criminal justice system here must come together on a set of reforms that puts the police, courts, jail, prosecutors and public defenders on the same page. The system of justice in Cook County is divided into separate silos. Clearly, the Mayor and the Chicago Police Department, the State’s Attorney, the Cook County Sheriff, the public defender, and the courts have distinct roles, and sometimes these roles are adversarial. But, they can and must operate within a common vision of service and public safety.

    Right now, it appears that leadership is acted on from behind – 400 days behind. The problems that we face in Chicago cannot be solved by ignoring or putting a blanket over what is happening on our streets and in our neighborhoods. As we struggle to find constructive ways to release our anger, let us not forget that our communities only grow from within and finding solutions should be our greatest priority .

    Jesus “Chuy” Garcia
    Cook County Commissioner

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      November 25, 2015 at 1:45 pm

      What did Rahm Emanuel know about this and when? The city settles with the family for five million a few months after the killing, so what did Rahm know? I can’t imagine a scenario where the city pays out that kind of money and the mayor doesn’t have the facts as to why this money is being paid. Just asking…

      Reply
  35. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 25, 2015 at 10:24 am

    Pray for the whistle blower, Brandon Smith & #CraigFutterman in the #LaquanMcDonald case, pray protection for their families, their jobs. May God bless!

    Reply
  36. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 25, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Hey, folks! Y’all can thank #CraigFutterman, Brandon Smith for their hard & dedicated work in getting the #LaquanMcDonald shooting released. God has his people.

    Reply
  37. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 10:08 am

    Patty Barden @PattyBarden
    Burger King Manager Says Chicago Cops Deleted Surveillance Video of Officer Killing a Teenager http://gawker.com/burger-king-manager-says-chicago-cops-deleted-surveille-1744477488 …

    Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 9:56 am

    SG2,

    Can you tweet Mr. Futterman and ask him if he knows the answer to my questions. Has HE heard the original 9-1-1 tape about Laquan?

    Reply
  40. Liza says:
    November 25, 2015 at 9:47 am

    Lies, lies, and more lies…

    No, #LaquanMcDonald was NOT on drugs. Typical rhetoric coming from the right wing is not accurate. Spread the word. pic.twitter.com/d899ZkhbxB— Bipartisan Report (@Bipartisanism) November 25, 2015

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Reply
  41. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 25, 2015 at 9:40 am

    Stay on them, Chica! Make them release the original 9-1-1 call.

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      November 25, 2015 at 11:37 am

      We need a TIMELINE from the original 911 call through the moment of the shooting minus all the cop lies. I wonder where that Burger King is located relative to the where the young man was killed.

      Reply
  42. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 8:48 am

    Prior complaints about officer charged with murdering Laquan McDonald
    POSTED 5:54 PM, NOVEMBER 24, 2015, BY JULIE UNRUH, SEAN LEWIS AND TONYA FRANCISCO, UPDATED AT 07:12AM, NOVEMBER 25, 2015

    ICAGO – Jason Van Dyke is someone who has spent most of his career working in high crime areas, the toughest neighborhoods around. He was a patrol officer in Englewood and worked for a time for a unit that aggressively went into neighborhoods where crime was spiking.

    Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy later disbanded this crew. Van Dyke was accused of bad deeds while wearing a badge again Tuesday, this time on a whole new level.

    According to a University of Chicago analysis of complaints against officers from 2011-2015, half of the department does not accumulate any complaints. 6 percent are repeat offenders who hold 31 percent of the complaints overall, and Van Dyke fits into that last category with 18 complaints against him during his career.

    According to a document acquired by the New York Times, complaints against Van Dyke range from inappropriate and racially charged language to roughing up suspects during an arrest.

    – He reportedly laughed at hearing impaired subject in 2013

    http://wgntv.com/2015/11/24/prior-complaints-about-officer-charged-with-murdering-laquan-mcdonald/

    Reply
  43. rikyrah says:
    November 25, 2015 at 8:39 am

    goldenstar
    Folks may want to peep Brandon Smith’s TL about the press conference and the lead-up. Brandon is the journalist who sued the City for the tape.

    https://twitter.com/muckrakery

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      November 25, 2015 at 10:26 am

      So, I’m watching this video again this morning. When the cops round the corner, Laquan is kind of jogging up the middle of the street, but it appears to me that he has just turned the corner from the street that is perpendicular to where the cops are positioned. Then Laquan slows down to kind of a brisk walk angling away from the cops, and in that brief moment before the cop starts shooting him, he does not seem to be expecting any interaction or trouble with these cops, he doesn’t even slow down.

      Yeah, we need that original 9/11 tape. We know how this ends, but we sure as hell do not know the beginning or the middle. People do know, however, and at this point I would welcome a DOJ investigation.

      Shot 16 times by a cop, bleeds out in the street, 17 years old. We are ENTITLED to the truth, we PAY for law enforcement. Police Departments are supposed to serve the citizens, ALL citizens. I don’t give a damn if this happened in Chicago and I’ve never even been there except to the airport. This is MY COUNTRY and I am outraged every day that I live in a country where this is happening in one form or another with astonishing regularity.

      Reply
      • Liza says:
        November 25, 2015 at 12:02 pm

        Still thinking about this. The video proves the execution and the police cover up, but there are so many unanswered questions. This execution is so much like that of Tamir Rice. Even though the circumstances are different, the victim is taken by surprise in the same way. Just like that, in an instant, a child’s life is over.

        Reply

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