Jury convicts Chicago police officer of second-degree murder
Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, left, is escorted from the court room after his guilty verdict in his trial for the shooting death of Laquan Mcdonald, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Friday.
CHICAGO – Minutes after being convicted of murder, Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke rose in the packed Cook County courtroom to be taken into custody. He had already said his goodbyes to his wife and family.
Looking fatigued but calm, the veteran patrol officer put his hands behind his back as his attorney, Daniel Herbert, clapped him on the back of his shoulder. As sheriff’s deputies escorted Van Dyke out of the courtroom, Herbert flashed him a thumbs-up.
With that, one of the most closely watched trials in Chicago’s history came to an abrupt conclusion.
A jury Friday convicted Van Dyke of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm in the death of 17-year-old Laquan Mcdonald, marking a stunning end to a racially tinged case that roiled the city when the now-infamous police dashboard camera video of the shooting was released three years ago by court order.
Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer in half a century to be found guilty of murder for an on-duty shooting. He faces a minimum of six years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Vincent Gaughan. The jury acquitted him of a single count of official misconduct.
Jurors told reporters most of them thought Van Dyke guilty when they entered deliberations but were initially split over whether to convict him on firstor second-degree murder. In the end, after deliberating for about seven hours, they settled on second-degree murder, finding that Van Dyke was frightened when he fired his gun but that his fear was unreasonable.
Around the city, a smattering of protesters gathered in public places to watch the verdict unfold. On the CTA Blue Line, riders packed cars heading from downtown while livestreaming the verdict on their cell phones for everyone to hear.
Outside the Lasalle Street entrance to City Hall, more than two dozen protesters formed a tight circle with their heads leaning in to listen to the decision.
Some covered their mouths and others braced anxiously with their hands resting on their head. A whisper rose among the hushed group, “I’m scared. I’m scared for my city, y’all.”
After several minutes, the crowd rejoiced in enthusiastic cheers after the first conviction was announced. Others like Keena Carson, an organizer and resident of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, broke into tears and doubled over with emotion.
“It just felt like all those years of work from the time the video came out was worth it,” Carson said. “Like all the organizing and being out in the streets, it was worth it. It was worth it – for once.
The slain teen’s sister, Tariana, wasn’t in the courtroom for the verdict but later posted on her Facebook page that the jury’s decision brought her “so many tears of joy.” Her next message was to her brother.
“I love you brother,” the 18-yearold Tariana wrote. “I miss you so much. I can sleep better because I know your killer isn’t walking the streets happy.”
Inside Gaughan’s fifth-floor courtroom, Van Dyke’s solemn expression did not break as the verdict was read. His wife, Tiffany, wept on word of his conviction. The slain teen’s great-uncle, the Rev. Marvin Hunter, seated on the other side of the courtroom, also cried.
Spectators remained silent, though some could be seen praying.
The judge had warned that any outbursts by those in attendance would result in their arrests. Deputies lined each corner of the packed courtroom.
Gaughan ordered Van Dyke’s bail revoked at the request of special prosecutor Joseph Mcmahon, who noted the officer faced the minimum of six years in prison.