Chicago’s police superintendent on Thursday called for the city to fire seven of its officers for providing false information concerning the death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager who was shot and killed by a white officer nearly two years ago. Technically speaking, the seven officers in question are accused of “making a false report” about the circumstances of McDonald’s death, but given the video of the incident and the autopsy, a less generous description would probably involve the words lying and cover up.
Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s decision comes 22 months after Officer Jason Van Dyke unloaded 16 bullets into McDonald, and nine months after Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder shortly before the city—under court order—released video of the shooting that contradicted Van Dyke’s claim he was acting in self-defense when he opened fire.
Based on Van Dyke’s version of events, which was backed up by his colleagues at the scene, authorities had quickly deemed McDonald’s death a “justifiable homicide” within hours of the incident. But while the officers all told the same story, the dashcam footage ended up telling a far different one (which, if the city had its way, would have remained unknown to the public). Via the Associated Press:
Van Dyke’s partner, Joseph Walsh, told an investigator that he repeatedly yelled “Drop the knife!” at McDonald and backed up as the teenager advanced at the officers. Further, he supported Van Dyke’s claim saying McDonald “swung the knife toward the officers in an aggressive manner” and that he believed McDonald was “attempting to kill them.”
Another wrote that, Van Dyke “in defense of his life … backpedaled and fired his handgun at McDonald.” Multiple officers wrote that even after McDonald had been shot he still posed a threat. “McDonald fell to the ground but continued to move and continued to grasp the knife, refusing to let go of it,” one report reads.
In the video, however, McDonald can clearly be seen moving away from the responding officers as Van Dyke steps out of his squad car and, seconds later, opens fire. The officer continued to unload his gun even after McDonald had fallen to the ground. According to prosecutors, the 17-year-old did indeed have a knife in his possession at the time, but they say it was recovered with the three-inch blade folded into its handle.
Johnson’s decision is not necessarily the end of the road for the seven officers. While the superintendent has stripped them of their police powers, he does not have the ability to unilaterally fire them. Instead, the seven will have the chance to contest his recommendation before the city’s police board, a process that typically takes about seven months. Nonetheless, Thursday’s announcement is being hailed by community leaders as a sign of progress—which, given Chicago’s history and intractable “code of silence,” is both true and depressing.
