Shooting of Laquan McDonald facts for kids
The story of Laquan McDonald is about a sad event that happened on October 20, 2014, in Chicago. Laquan was 17 years old. He was shot by a Chicago Police Officer named Jason Van Dyke.
After this happened, Chicago's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, decided to fire the head of the Chicago Police Department, Garry McCarthy, on December 1, 2015. A few days later, Mayor Emanuel said he was sorry about the shooting. However, many people still had strong negative feelings about him and his team.
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What Happened
A video of the shooting was recorded by a camera in a police car. This video was shown to the public on November 24, 2015. This was more than a year after the shooting happened.
The Video Comes Out
After the video was released, Officer Van Dyke was charged with a very serious crime. He turned himself in to the authorities. At first, he was held in Cook County Jail. He was later released on November 30 after money was paid to the court.
On November 25, a politician named Bernie Sanders, who was running for president, shared a message. He sent his sympathy to Laquan McDonald's family. He also spoke out against the mayor's team and the Chicago police force.
Public Reaction and Protests
Many people were very upset about Laquan McDonald's death. They held protests to show their feelings.
Protests in Chicago
On November 27, which was Black Friday (a very busy shopping day in the U.S.), a group of protesters marched on Michigan Avenue. This is a main shopping street in Chicago. They chanted "sixteen shots" and other sayings. Because of the protests, some stores had to close their doors. The police also closed Michigan Avenue, which is a big street with six lanes.
The Investigation
The FBI started looking into Laquan McDonald's death. In April 2015, the city of Chicago agreed to pay five million dollars to Laquan's family. This happened even though the family had not yet filed a lawsuit.
The police had first said that Laquan McDonald had moved aggressively towards an officer. But the video footage showed that this was not true. Laquan did not move aggressively at all.
Images for kids
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Laquan McDonald
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Protest on December 9, 2015
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