Former officer who killed Laquan McDonald leaves prison after serving less than half of sentence

The former Chicago police officer who was convicted in the 2014 killing of a Black teenager was released from prison Thursday, less than halfway through his original sentence.

Jason Van Dyke, who is white, was sentenced in 2019 to six years and nine months but only served about three years and four months. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, told NBC Chicago that Van Dyke was released Thursday morning. She did not offer additional details, including where he had been imprisoned.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a statement to residents ahead of the release Thursday, saying she understood many were frustrated and that a sentence of “81 months was and remains a supreme disappointment.”

“While I know this moment is disappointing, it should not prevent us from seeing the significant progress Van Dyke’s prosecution and conviction represent,” Lightfoot said. “He was the first officer in more than half a century to be convicted of a crime committed purportedly in the line of duty.”

Lightfoot went on to call the prosecution the beginning of a long process, tying Van Dyke’s conviction with police reforms, and the “first-ever community police oversight body in Chicago.”

“I understand why this continues to feel like a miscarriage of justice, especially when many Black and brown men get sentenced to so much more prison time for having committed far lesser crimes,” Lightfoot said. “It’s these distortions in the criminal justice system, historically, that have made it so hard to build trust.”

At the time of his conviction, prosecutors were pushing for Van Dyke to be imprisoned for at least 18 years, though state sentencing guidelines allowed for as many as 96 years or more.

Van Dyke was among one of the officers who responded to reports in October 2014 that McDonald was carrying a knife and breaking into cars on the city’s Southwest Side. He testified during his trial he saw McDonald holding a folded knife and that he feared for his life.

But footage from a dash camera showed that Van Dyke was the one who continued to approach McDonald on that night, while the teenager was veering away from officers in the middle of the street.

McDonald was shot 16 times as he tried to walk away.

The prosecution highlighted complaints against Van Dyke for allegedly using excessive force and featured testimony from minorities who claimed he abused their civil rights during arrests.

Van Dyke was never disciplined despite having accumulated 20 complaints against him during his career.

This is a breaking story, please check back for updates.

source: nbcnews.com