Chicago Protesters To Disrupt Black Friday

On at least 20 occasions in Van Dyke’s 14-year career, citizens have filed complaints against Van Dyke, according to the Citizens Police Data Project, a database of misconduct complaints filed against more than 8,500 Chicago police officers.

Chicago police say they arrested five protesters during overnight demonstrations sparked by a video of a 2014 police shooting.

A protest was held Wednesday afternoon at City Hall and others were planned at various locations Wednesday night.

There have been two nights of small, peaceful demonstrations, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others have called for a “massive” march on Black Friday along Michigan Avenue, a swank downtown boulevard that’s normally packed with post-Thanksgiving shoppers.

COMPLAINT: A black woman accused Van Dyke of repeatedly directing racial epithets at her as police searched an apartment on December 1, 2013, according to the records from the Independent Police Review Board, which investigates complaints against police.

And the Urban League of Chicago joined in the call for a federal investigation, alleging a pattern of “discriminatory harassment” against black people.

Activists also want a special prosecutor assigned to the Van Dyke case.

Chicago police officers maintained a constant presence with protesters throughout the march.

US President Barack Obama said he was “deeply disturbed” by the footage of Laquan’s fatal shooting.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton also weighed in, saying McDonald’s family and Chicago residents “deserve justice and accountability”.

In the video, McDonald is running down the center of a street toward several police cars, then apparently walks away from police holding what police say was a knife. Suddenly, one of the officers appears to fire from close range and fires at him 16 times. McDonald spins around and collapses on the pavement.

The vehicle with the camera continues to roll forward until the officers are out of the frame. McDonald lifts his head, moves an arm and then a cloud from another gunshot rises up from his chest as he lays in a fetal position.

Authorities in Chicago, a city of 2.7 million people, had girded for the possibility of civil unrest on a scale seen in cities such as Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, but the city remained mostly tranquil by Wednesday night.

Scores of protesters clashed mildly with police late into the evening, occasionally pushing and shoving with officers in heated confrontations.

Numerous marchers chanted, “16 times”.

“It probably wouldn’t have happened, if in fact, the judge hadn’t said he was going to release the video”, Burris noted. After the judge’s order, the investigations were quickly wrapped up and a charge announced. He’s facing charges of first degree murder. Analyst queried on GMA why, with evidence provided in the video, a murder charge against Van Dyke had taken over a year to be enforced.

Some community leaders questioned that assertion. “And I’m personally grateful to the people of my hometown for keeping protests peaceful”, Obama said.

McDonald’s death came at a time of intense national debate over police use of deadly force, especially against minorities. But so far, van dyke was not disciplined.

“So what appears to be clear on a video sometimes is not always that clear”. “I know this is a very large amount of money, and I have no idea how I could ever begin to thank every one or repay them for their kindness”. He said the case needs to be tried in a courtroom, “not in the streets or in the media”.

Several protesters said they were parents of black men who also had been shot and killed by Chicago police. At least one person he arrested was later awarded $350,000 in damages in a lawsuit.

A 22-year-old Chicago man, Malcolm London, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a police officer.

Police released four more dashcam videos Wednesday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by NBC Chicago.