No federal charges for ex-Chicago cop who killed LaQuan McDonald
The ex-Chicago cop who shot and killed Black teenager LaQuan McDonald will not face federal charges.
However, federal prosecutors said the decision to drop its case against Jason Van Dyke was made in conjunction with McDonald’s family.
“The decision not to pursue a federal prosecution is consistent with Department of Justice policy and was made in consultation with Mr. McDonald’s family,” the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois said.
Dash camera footage showed Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times on Oct. 20, 2014.
After the city and Chicago Police Department attempted to suppress the footage, it was released the same day Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder.
In October 2018, after a trial that last several weeks, Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery, one for each shot. He was acquitted of official misconduct.
He was sentenced to six years and nine months but ended up serving less than three years. However, he will remain under supervised release for another three years.
