Judge sentences police officer in fatal shooting of teenager

The white Chicago police officer who gunned down a black teenager in 2014 was sentenced Friday to nearly seven years in prison, bringing an end to a historic case that centered on a dashcam video and fueled the national debate over race and law enforcement.

Jason Van Dyke was convicted last year of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery — one for each bullet he fired.

Moments before learning the sentence, Van Dyke acknowledged the black teenager’s death, telling the judge “as a God-fearing man and father, I will have to live with this the rest of my life.”

Earlier, several black motorists testified he used a racial slur and excessive force during traffic stops before the 2014 shooting.

One of those witnesses, Vidale Joy, said Van Dyke used a racial slur after pulling him over in 2005 and at one point put a gun to Joy’s head. He said Van Dyke “looked infuriated” and seemed “out of his mind.” Under cross

examination, Joy acknowledged he did not allege Van Dyke used a slur in his first accounts of the stop.

Another witness, Ed Nance, struggled to maintain his composure. Testifying about a 2007 traffic stop, he said the officer cursed and slammed him on the car’s hood, grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to the squad car.

Hours later, Van Dyke’s relatives tried to defend and humanize him, saying he’s a good father and husband who goes out of his way to help, and who is not racist.

The issue of race has loomed over the case for more than four years, although it was rarely raised at trial.

One of the only instances was during opening statements, when special prosecutor Joseph McMahon told jurors Van Dyke saw “a black boy walking down the street” who had “the audacity to ignore the police.”

Van Dyke’s wife said her life has been “a nightmare” since her husband was charged. She said she was denied a job and her daughter was not accepted into a dance group because of their last name.

Her biggest fear is “somebody will kill my husband for something he did as a police officer, something he was trained to do.”

GETTY IMAGES Family members of former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, including his wife, Tiffany, arrive at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building for his sentencing in the 2014 murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Jason Van Dyke