Shocked, shocked, that officers’ versions appear misleading
We’re left with two questions in the Laquan McDonald case: Why would the process take so long, as officials have had the video since long before its public release? And will the statements of officers in other incidents also be up for review?
The shooting of Laquan McDonald took place in October, 2014. With several officers standing on the scene, Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shot the teenager 16 times.
The officers’ reports suggested McDonald was bearing a knife and made a threatening move toward the officers when he was shot. A dashboard video of the incident, ordered released by a judge last November, offered the public a very different view of what happened; the video shows McDonald moving away from the officers when he was shot.
Van Dyke now awaits murder charges, and officials have been investigating for months potential action agains the other officers based on their reports. This week, the inspector general delivered his report on the incident to police. On Thursday, Supt. Eddie Johnson announced he would seek to fire seven officers for filing false reports, an action that is up to the police board to impose.
We’re left with two questions: Why would the process take so long, as officials have had the video since long before its public release? And will the statements of officers in other incidents also be up for review?
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Rick Tulsky was the co-founder of Injustice Watch and served as editorial director until he retired in 2020. Before starting Injustice Watch in 2016, Rick was the founding director of Medill Watchdog, a program at Northwestern University’s journalism school to undertake collaborative projects on systemic problems while mentoring students in such work. Rick previously worked at the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News and the Center for Investigative Reporting. His work has received more than two dozen national awards including a Pulitzer Prize, and has been a nominated finalist in two other years.
Shocked, shocked, that officers’ versions appear misleading
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The shooting of Laquan McDonald took place in October, 2014. With several officers standing on the scene, Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shot the teenager 16 times.
The officers’ reports suggested McDonald was bearing a knife and made a threatening move toward the officers when he was shot. A dashboard video of the incident, ordered released by a judge last November, offered the public a very different view of what happened; the video shows McDonald moving away from the officers when he was shot.
Van Dyke now awaits murder charges, and officials have been investigating for months potential action agains the other officers based on their reports. This week, the inspector general delivered his report on the incident to police. On Thursday, Supt. Eddie Johnson announced he would seek to fire seven officers for filing false reports, an action that is up to the police board to impose.
We’re left with two questions: Why would the process take so long, as officials have had the video since long before its public release? And will the statements of officers in other incidents also be up for review?
Rick Tulsky
Rick Tulsky was the co-founder of Injustice Watch and served as editorial director until he retired in 2020. Before starting Injustice Watch in 2016, Rick was the founding director of Medill Watchdog, a program at Northwestern University’s journalism school to undertake collaborative projects on systemic problems while mentoring students in such work. Rick previously worked at the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News and the Center for Investigative Reporting. His work has received more than two dozen national awards including a Pulitzer Prize, and has been a nominated finalist in two other years.
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