DEFINING DANGER
Danger. To you? To me? To someone else?
On Thursday, a bit of testimony in the Laquan McDonald murder trial sent me scurrying to the dictionary for the definition of “danger.”
I started flipping the “synonymous with” pages after Yvette Patterson, a witness for the defense of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke — who shot McDonald 16 times — testified she encountered the 17-year-old in an alley around 3 a.m. the day he was killed.
Her testimony was mystifying. Let’s back up. Patterson told the court McDonald, who was shot 20 hours later after what the defense describes as a PCP-fueled rampage, was hanging out in the alley behind Patterson’s house when she came home from a party in the early morning hours of Oct. 20, 2014.
He wanted to see her car. He wanted to use it.
“I just want to use it. I’ll bring it right back,” Patterson claims McDonald told her.
Patterson also told the court she remembered “laughing and talking” to McDonald, but politely declining to lend him the car.
Patterson also insisted she wasn’t frightened.
Dan Herbert, Van Dyke’s attorney, then told the court Patterson had actually called 911 that morning — and when later interviewed by the FBI in 2015 she told the agents the conversation she had with McDonald when she encountered him in the alley started with his asking: “‘Who the f--- do you know that lives here?’
“I ended up calling the police for the simple fact that I wanted to get into the house,” she said. “I wasn’t in fear at all,” Patterson told the court.
“He was a very nice guy, evidently,” she added. Huh?
Did I miss something? Sneed’s still looking for the dictionary that has a definition for Patterson’s late-night encounter with a young stranger who wanted to borrow her car and to know who lived in her house.
Let me know if you find it.
Flying solo . . .
Prep the luggage for Melania Trump, but hold the extra hairspray and ketchup — the Donald’s faves.
The first lady is flying solo on her first major trip abroad without her husband, President Donald Trump.
Translation: Melania won’t be with her hubby next month when she makes her way to four African countries: Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.
Hmmm.
No doubt these are not the African places the president was referring to as “s---hole countries” in January during a meeting with lawmakers.
Place your bets.
Sneedlings . . .
The church crisis ... Watch for Chicago’s former FBI director Kathleen McChesney, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke and legendary New York attorney Bob Bennett to hit the City Club of Chicago’s stage Monday at noon to discuss the recent crisis among the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and the way it dealt with the clerical sexual abuse scandal. The conversation is titled “Crisis in the Catholic Church” and will take place at Maggiano’s eatery, 111 W. Grand. ... I spy: Da Bears’ new defensive star, Khalil Mack, spotted last weekend dining at TAO before hitting up the newly opened River North nightclub . ... Ditto for actor Terrence “Empire” Howard .He popped into a VIP table at TAO for deadmau5’s DJ set . ... Saturday’s birthdays: Kevin Durant, 30; Chrissy Metz, 39; and Calvin Johnson, 33 . ... Sunday’s birthdays: Fran Drescher, 61; Barry Williams, 64, and Debbie Silverman, ageless.