Attorney For Chicago Police Officer Seeks Change of Venue

The Chicago police officer charged with the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was due in court on Friday.

Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke made his first court appearance since being indicted on six counts of murder and one count of official misconduct in the death of Laquan McDonald. Release of a video showing Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times has triggered persistent protests, forced the resignation of the city’s cops officers chief & put all the Police officers Department under a wide-ranging civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Several people shouted profanities and pounded on a black pickup truck before it pulled away with officer Jason Van Dyke inside. He has been indicted by a grand jury on six counts of first-degree murder and one charge of misconduct.

And the outcries against Van Dyke continued Friday.

Van Dyke’s attorney, Daniel Herbert, said he had not heard about the indictment on Wednesday, but said “it would not come as a surprise”.

“In Cook County it hasn’t been done in decades”, Herbert said.

Chicago police killed an average of 17 people a year over the last seven years, majority African American, and it is extremely unusual for police officers to face charges or be disciplined in such cases.

The hearing provides an opportunity for prosecutors to read Van Dyke’s indictment. Within the next few weeks, an arraignment will be scheduled. His defense has previously said Van Dyke feared for his life as McDonald reportedly had a knife.

Van Dyke turned himself in on November 24, when Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez charged him with murder.

“There needs to be accountability for the injustices happening throughout the Chicago Police Department and our justice system”, said Maria Moser, a resident of the south-side suburb of Beverly, who attended the march with her brother. The email is community.cpd@usdoj.gov.

The mayor has faced calls to resign from protesters who accuse City Hall and the police department of a cover-up because the city fought for months to keep the video from being released under the argument that doing so would hinder the investigation into the shooting.

Among other things, the investigation will examine whether there are patterns of racial disparity in the Police Department’s use of force.