Police Video (Still Image)
*On this date in 2014, the murder of Laquan McDonald took place in Chicago, Illinois. He was a 17-year-old Black youth fatally shot by white-American Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke.
Shortly before 10:00 p.m. that evening, police were called to investigate McDonald at 4100 South Pulaski Road, responding to reports that he was carrying a knife and breaking into vehicles in a trucking yard at 41st Street and Kildare Avenue. When officers confronted McDonald, he used a knife to slice the tire on a patrol vehicle and damage its windshield. McDonald walked away from police after numerous verbal instructions from officers to drop the knife. According to radio recordings released December 30, 2015, responding officers requested Taser backup to Politico and NBC Chicago in response to Illinois Freedom of Information Act requests.
Video of the shooting shows that Van Dyke was advancing on McDonald while McDonald was walking away from the officer when the first shot was fired. The first shot hit McDonald, who spun and fell to the ground. As McDonald lay on the ground, still holding the knife, Van Dyke fired more shots at him. In total, Van Dyke fired 16 shots at McDonald in 14–15 seconds, expanding the maximum capacity of his 9 mm semi-automatic firearm.
Van Dyke was on the scene for less than 30 seconds before opening fire and began shooting approximately six seconds after exiting his car. The first responding officer said he did not see the need to use force, and none of the at least eight other officers on the scene fired their weapons. Laquan McDonald was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 10:42 p.m.
