Judge acquits three officers of hiding evidence in shooting

CHICAGO — A judge on Thursday acquitted three Chicago police officers of trying to cover up the 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald to protect the white officer seen pulling the trigger on dashcam video that showed the black teen getting hit with 16 bullets.

In rejecting the prosecution’s entire case, Judge Domenica Stephenson seemed to accept many of the same defense arguments that were rejected by jurors who convicted officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted in October of second-degree murder and aggravated battery and is scheduled to be sentenced today.

The judge said there was no indication that officers tried to hide evidence.

“The evidence shows just the opposite,” she said. She singled out how they preserved the graphic video at the heart of the case.

McDonald’s family immediately questioned how the two cases could produce such different decisions. His great uncle, the Rev. Marvin Hunter, told reporters that the verdict means “that if you are a police officer you can lie, cheat and steal.”

“To say that these men are not

guilty is to say that Jason Van Dyke is not guilty.” He also said “it is a sad day for America.”

The trial was watched closely by law enforcement and critics of the department that has long had a reputation for condoning police brutality and misconduct.

Officer Joseph Walsh, officer Thomas Gaffney and Detective David March were accused of conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice. All but Gaffney have since left the department.

Both trials hinged on the video, which showed Van Dyke opening fire within seconds of getting out of his police SUV and continuing to shoot the 17-year-old while he was lying on the street and barely moving. Police were responding to a report of a male who was breaking into trucks and stealing radios on the city’s South Side.

Prosecutors alleged that Gaffney, March and Walsh, who was Van Dyke’s partner, submitted false reports about what really happened to try to prevent or shape any criminal investigation of the shooting. Among other things, they said the officers falsely claimed that McDonald ignored verbal commands from Van Dyke, that Van Dyke shot McDonald after McDonald aggressively swung a knife at the officers and that he kept shooting the teen because McDonald was trying to get up still armed with the knife.

Former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted in October of second-degree murder and aggravated battery and is due to be sentenced today in the death of a 17-year-old.