It was just about a year ago that a city whistleblower came to journalist Jamie Kalven and attorney Craig Futterman out of concern that Laquan McDonaldās shooting a few weeks earlier āwasnāt being vigorously investigated,ā as Kalven recalls. The source told them āthat there was a video and that it was horrific,ā he said.
Without that whistleblowerāand without that videoāitās highly unlikely that Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke would be facing first-degree murder charges today.
āWhen it was first reported it was a typical police shooting story,ā Kalven said, where police claim self-defense and announce an investigation, and āat that point the story disappears.ā And, typically, a year or 18 months later, the Independent Police Review Authority confirms the self-defense claim, and āby then no one remembers the initial incident.ā
āThere are an average of 50 police shootings of civilians every year in Chicago, and no one is ever charged,ā said Futterman. āWithout the video, this would have been just one more of 50 such incidents, where the police blotter defines the narrative and nothing changes.ā
Last December, Kalven and Futterman issued a statement revealing the existence of a dash-cam video and calling for its release.Ā Kalven tracked down a witness to the shooting, who said he and other witnesses had been āshooed awayā from the scene with no statements or contact information taken.
In February, Kalven obtained a copy of McDonaldās autopsy, which contradicted the official story that McDonald had died of a single gunshot to the chest. In fact, heād been shot 16 timesāas Van Dyke unloaded his service weapon, execution styleāwhile McDonald lay on the ground.
The next month, the City Council approved a $5 million settlement with McDonaldās family, whose attorneys had obtained the video. They said it showed McDonald walking away from police at the time of the shooting, contradicting the police story that he was threatening or had ālunged atā cops. The settlement included a provision keeping the video confidential.
āThe real issue here is, this terrible thing happened, how did our governmental institutions respond?ā Kalven said.Ā āAnd from everything weāve learned, compulsively at every level, from the cops on the scene to the highest levels of government, they responded by circling the wagons and by fabricating a narrative that they knew was completely false.āĀ To him this response is āpart of a systemic problemā and preserves āthe underlying conditions that allow abuse and shield abuse.ā
In April, the Chicago Tribune revealed Van Dykeās name and his history of civilian complaintsāincluding several brutality complaints, one of which cost the city $500,000 in a civil lawsuitānone of which resulted in any disciplinary action. In May, Carol Marin reported that video from a security camera at a Burger King on the scene had apparently been deleted by police in the hours after the shooting.
āThis case shows the operation of the code of silence in the Chicago Police Department,ā said Futterman. āFrom the very start you have officers and detectives conspiring to cover up the story. The question is, why are they not being charged?ā
Van Dykeās history āalso shows what happens when the police department consistently chooses not to look at patterns of abuse complaints when investigating misconduct charges,ā he adds. This failure āis one of the reasons an officer like Van Dyke has an opportunity to execute a 17-year-old kid.ā
Rather than acknowledging the systemic failures, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is now trying to frame the issue as the action of one bad officer, as the Tribune reports.Ā āOne individual needs to be held accountable,ā he said Monday.
Kalven calls Emanuelās āreframingā of the narrative āessentially false.ā He points out that āeverything we know now, the city knew from Day One. They had the officers on the scene. They knew there were witnesses. They had the autopsy, they had the video…. They maintained a false narrative about those events, and they did it for a year, when it could have been corrected almost immediately….They spent a year stonewalling any calls for transparency, any information about the case.ā
He points to Cincinnati, where last summer a university officer was indicted for murder and video from his body camera was released within days following the shooting of an unarmed African-American man in a traffic stop.
āThe policy in Cincinnati is that you should release within 24 hours unless there are compelling investigatory reasons to hold on longer,ā said Kalven.Ā āThe policy should be that the presumption is that this is public information and it is released as quickly as can reasonably be done, except in cases where there is a genuine and very specific investigatory need to withhold it.ā
Thatās not the same as waiting until an investigation is concluded. Fridayās ruling that the McDonald video must be releasedāand the absence of any affidavit from investigators about the need to withhold itāshowed that āthere was absolutely no legal or investigatory impediment to releasing thisā long ago.
āThis was an incredible test of leadership, a major challenge to [Emanuelās] leadership,ā Kalven said.Ā āThink how different the situation would be right now if the city had acknowledged the reality of what happened in the days or weeks after it happened. That would have built confidence.ā
And instead of vague and politically self-serving calls for āhealing,ā it could have begun a real process of accountability of the kind necessary to start addressing the extreme alienation between police and wide segments of our communities.
Instead, with only Van Dyke indicted, it looks like heās being sacrificed in order to protect the system that created him.
Spot on Curtis.
If the public and our political leaders really wanted to end most police civilian violent interactions then legalizing drugs, prostitution and gambling all non-violent, victimless crimes, then taxing and regulating those businesses would accomplice that goal. But America shudders at the potential end of prohibition and the promise of constitutional freedoms. Let adults be adults and let the police look for violent crime and property crime which oddly enough they are pretty good at.
What??? How about the police following the same laws that civilians are expected to follow. E.g., don’t empty your gun into ANYONE. If necessary to protect yourself, DISABLE the threat. Execution is likely not required.
Trying to turn the god-awful, apparent practice of a LOT of police in this country to kill whomever they’re p—ed at into a call for legalizing drugs, gambling, and prostitution is a blatant red herring.
What you fail to see is that legalizing consensual acts would have the effect of turning law enforcers into peace officers. Yes, in this case it may not have made any difference since Laquan (See: When a child’s name portends disaster…) was a drugged-out thieving property abuser, but it would do away with the bulk of negative police/non-police interaction, and in so doing, minimize the us VS them mentality, not to mention the cost of arresting, prosecuting, incarcerating, and supposedly rehabilitating people who are not infringing on the rights of others.
The militarization of our police is a direct result of the war on drugs, prostitution and gambling. Calling that a red herring is called deflection.
Actually, I don’t know that the militarization of US police is as strongly related to these issues as you say. So I’m not deflecting, at least not knowingly.
So if drugs, prostitution, and gambling were legal across the US, AND our police forces were de-militarized, you think the number of black civilian males killed by white policemen in this country would decline significantly?
This could actually be tested (though not likely in a “blind” study). Establish legalized “victimless” activities plus or minus de-militarization (whatever that would entail) in several cities across the US. Then follow white police killings by race.
University of Chicago… grad students of Social Science… how about it?!?
cops kill, lie, conspire, manipulate and delete evidence, they have ruined their own reputation, and should not be trusted for anything….
there is more danger in being killed by a cop then a criminal or terrorist.
the public needs to refuse to accept this,,,,
a major big change to policing has to be made….
+1
From The Mayor on Down
https://www.facebook.com/tiffany.morrisvandyke
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Van-Dyke-House-of-Crazy/1402103453367123
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1488736074
What retards leave their FB’s up????
This is a cold blooded murder. It’s obvious. The civil award to the family of the victim should come out of police department union dues and police retirement funds. It is well past time for these murders to end, and also time to stop holding taxpayers accountable. Hold the lying perps responsible.
Agree 100%
And civil payouts should NOT be tied to non-disclosure agreements. If an injured party deserves monetary award, and/or the offending party deserves punishment, then great. Do it. How has it become OK, even the practice, for an injured party to have to choose between millions of dollars OR the ability to disclose and thus perhaps stop the offender from reoffending????
I saw the video, I’ve read the articles and now even more information that has come out since the release of the video. I don’t see where the force was necessary. I feel the cop was wrong and this young man’s life was taken senselessly. Why do you as a mother and or as a father agree to take the settlement with the terms of not releasing the video or prosecution for the officer, out of justice for your child???? The only one partially innocent here is the 17 year old that’s dead. There is blood on so many people’s hands including his family. Disgusting.
Right on – The great cops need to be the ones to stand up to the bad cops and the only way to make that happen is to put the liability directly on the cop’s pension funds. You will see immediate results and the blue wall will come crashing down. We would hope that there would be some cops left after this happened though.
Rahm, police – nuff said. Civilians are the enemies. We are being occupied not served or protected
“16 shot revolver?” Check your facts Chicago Reporter
Yes, that is the important fact in this story. Glad your pea brain thought to challenge this mistake.
Pointing out one factual error doesn’t mean that a person is dismissing all other facts as unimportant. And if it’s such a simple “pea brain” distinction, then why did the writer make the error in the first place?
That appears nowhere in the text of the article. Why did you quote it? It states he was shot 16 times and that one officer unloaded his revolver. Reading comprehension is very important.
Facts should never interfere with news, or history, or government policy, or education, etc. This is a good example of careless editing and dimishes the reliability of the story, the writer, and the news outlet. That said, the entire incident was nevertheless tragic and inexcusable.
Standard police issue firearms today are 9 mm, sixteen shot, semi-automatic pistol. The days of the “six-shooter” are long gone. So, the Chicago Reporter is right.
Semi-automatic pistols are not revolvers.
I didn’t say they were. Edward McNamara said that. If you read our exchange properly you would have picked that up.
I can see that the Trolls have shown up. That’s usually what happens after all the decent, concerned people have expressed their emotions in an incident like this. R.I.P. Laquan.
You said that the Chicago Reporter is right. It’s not. If you can’t understand that, you aren’t very bright.
Did you even read the article?
I was commenting on Edward McNamara’s Post.
He mentioned “revolver”. And, yes, smart-ass I did read the article. Try concentrating on Laquan instead of criticizing people who are outraged about how the City of Chicago treats its’ citizens.
One more comment for you. Sieg Heil Larry!!
The cops are get away with murder of men women and children they have become nothing but a bunch of gang bangers
I have no sympathy for a city that elects an Israeli to its highest office.
Yawn
Get a job.
I have a job. It’s writing yawn in response to mean, pent-up men who think they are smarter than they are.
I’m guessing that such a career doesn’t pay very well, probably because it requires no more than a first-grade education.
Sadly you are correct. More supply than demand…
Don’t worry. Those of your ilk may soon be successful in raising the pay for such work to $15 per hour, regardless of the economic laws of supply and demand.
LMAO!
Urdumpepl.
Wow! Did you come up with that on your own? If so, IC1MORDUMPERSN.
We must pray for those who continue to harm others. States Attorney Anita Alvarez must step down. She waited until all the petitions were due for the election to bring charges. Perhaps dozen lawyers would have stepped into the race for her position, had she done her job and brought charges earlier, to show that Law and Order in Chicago is two-faced. The cover-up by the mayor (to get re-elected) , the chief of police (not to step down when asked by 19 Aldermen), and the other patrolmen, who stood and watched, and their supervisors who all saw the police video. We pray for the families. This is a tragic gripping story. This while Black Lives Matter was ridiculed and the country did not see that Chicago has a racist problem. And then the media criticized “Chiraq.” Let us pray for all those still in denial. Let us pray for peace.
Fk peace. Let’s pray for retribution. There’s some payback due here.
Eye for an eye right???? Ridiculous comment. Your part of the problem if you think you solve violence with violence.
It has been stated that prior to being shot, the “kid” may have been robbing cars / slashing tires and had PCP in his system. Now, those “crimes” don’t necessitate dying as punishment, but they certainly put a person in a position to have something bad happen to him.
The police chance of getting shot by a police officer while going to church is MUCH less than what this kid was doing. His poor choices put him in a bad position, and he died due to the consequences of his own actions.
What does anything you say have to do with the article? The video should have been released within a couple of days. If the guy was crazy on PCP and threatening the officer with imminent bodily harm, then it probably would have been obvious. But no. One cop shot the guy 16 times while other officers seeing the same “threat” felt no need to shoot even once. But they did then try to cover up for their guilty one. And then the commanding officers stonewalled. And then the City did, and the state’s attorney. That was the point of the article, not whether Laquan McDonald was a perfect human being or a confused young man who overdid the angel dust.
The police ALWAYS say “there was a trace…” of something in his blood. A “trace” means exactly that “a trace”. It does NOT mean he was under the influence of the PCP. Traces of Marijuana can show up in your blood up to three months after its’ use. PCP can stay in your urine up to seven days. With heavy users it can last for several months. Plus, the news reporter didn’t say if it was in his blood, urine, or saliva. The results will vary in each of the bodily fluids.
Laquan McDonald did NOT exhibit any symptoms of PCP intoxication. People on PCP don’t fall down after one shot from a 9 mm pistol. They become “Supermen” while actively on the drug. I know someone who broke free from handcuffs while on PCP. He actually broke the handcuffs!! That is unheard of. That’s to give you an example of what the drug can do to a person. Laquan was running AWAY from the cops. People on PCP usually ATTACK cops because they go crazy from its’ effects. Gees, with “witnesses” like you the State doesn’t need a judge, jury, and prosecutor. All they need is you! Then, they can trow away the key.
P.S. I hope that if you ever get arrested and charged with a major crime, that you have a witness like you to convict without seeing the evidence. Cheers!
Its obvious that you have no understanding of what a single round can do to a person when it makes contact with the heart, lungs, brain, or a major blood vessel.
If that’s the case then why were 16 needed? -13 while he was on the ground.
One more bad apple off the streets is what you’re saying. OK. Let’s get a bunch of bad apples off the street with him, such as all the cops involved, and all the politicians and city officials who delayed the case. One bad apple down. 20 bad apples to go. No problem. I agree with you whole heartedly.
Except for the excessive payout, I count this as a win-win.
The fastest way to break this police cover-up mentality is to make any payouts come out of the police pension fund. All of the great cops will now be highly motivated to quickly clean out the bad cops and the bad supervisors.
Scratch that.
The autopsy came up negative for drugs and alcohol…
Which is largely irrelevant anyway; it’s just another “cop out.” Literally..as they basically try to tarnish a suspect’s post death image any way possible to illustrate them deserving of judge, jury, and executioner on site unseen death penalty.
“Oh I get it; there was a “trace” of cocaine in his blood; he was a nig..hooligan thug.”
No, HARDLY. What I am saying is that the kid made bad choices where he put HIMSELF in a position for bad things to happen. Sometimes, not always, but SOMETIMES, the repercussions for a bad decision can be way out of line with what was done. That is the case here. Just because the outcome was bad, it does not mean that the kid didn’t set himself up for the possible outcome.
Uh, I’m pretty sure he’s dead because a cop unloaded on him 16 times.
Yes, that is what killed him. No, the question is, what actions put him in a confrontation with those police in the first place?
He arrived at the scene, and within a few seconds was shooting the kid. He had no idea what was going on, and acted. The other officers that saw this and did nothing should also be facing murder charges.
The other offficers inaction should be evidence enough that none of the officer felt at risk.
He didn’t have any drugs in his system, please stop spreading untruths.
http://invisible.institute/news/autopsy-of-laquan-mcdonald His autopsy. Last page. Please stop spreading untrue statements about PCP in his system.
And maybe shot once to stop him, but 16 times as Laquan is in the fetal position? I can’t believe you find any good in this LEO’s actions.
Keep telling yourself that; do you think your God will buy it?
Myself I even thought there was potential “suicide by cop” situation written on this one, before seeing the video, largely as the kid(he was only 17) was taken away from his mom twice as reports her boyfriend was abusive. That’s by age 5…of which then two of the foster homes he was in, he was ALSO taken back from as he was sexually molested! Apparently he then was living with a grandparent for a bit but they passed away so back into custodial care, and was a ward of the state when shot by cops. So whatever you want to think “Mr. Christian” about his relative risk of being on the streets vs. in pious sanctuary in the pews or confessional booth on a Monday night, pretty clear the system chewed him up and spit him out; this kid hardly had a chance at all in life, not unlike so many.
And then comes the reporting on the incident: the obligatory “Drugs in system”…NIG, “Suspected of committing ____”…GER! -That’s all folks! -Life written off just another poorly kept statistic; why won’t “these people” learn actions have consequences; isn’t Fallon on yet?
Meanwhile kid on ground only had a knife which they’d identified and who backed away from cops as they approached him not the other way round, and 13 of the 16 shots that riddled his body were pumped into his wretched soul as he lay in death throes bleeding out on the cold pavement. Then of course no charges for anyone till an internal whistleblower comes forth and tells the “post-Fergilicious” “Black Lives Money Matters” media there’s video of the incident and the kid had a full clip of ammo blown through his corpse. Freedom of Information request fought tooth and nail every step of the way till finally a lawsuit and over a year later a judge orders video released, and the day before they decide to charge the cop with murder. Otherwise cover it up like every other of the 50-something police killings in that city each year which never see the light of day…unless of course there’s an incriminating footage. Film at 11..months later. Oh, got lost in the chaos and transit too bad!
The usual MO is to launch a year and a half “investigation” by which point no one cares they let the cop off with a “I was scared” murder self-defense.
Now, your response doesn’t necessitate the loss of your soul as punishment, but you certainly put yourself in a position to have something bad happen to it.
I am not bring god into it at all. OBVIOUSLY the officer over-reacted when he shot this kid, that part is not in question. The issue is, this was not just some random kid walking home from the ice cream parlor. His own actions put him in conflict with the police. While the repercussions for his choices are extreme – well beyond what should have happened – it was the kid himself who put himself in the situation to begin with.
” Now, those “crimes” don’t necessitate dying as punishment,”
You should have stopped there. Instead you proved yourself an idiot.
Well, you just proved yourself one by your own comments. You are probably one of those whiney types that does not believe anyone is responsible for anything bad that happens to them. People can make bad decisions and sometimes those decisions have consequences that are much more severe than they should be. IF you live life as a criminal, your are much more likely to cross paths with police with a negative interaction – leading to an increase in the possibility that something bad will happen.
I guess actual logic is not your strong suit.
“sometimes those decisions have consequences that are much more severe than they should be”
Thanks for admitting that Van Dork committed murder.
I accept your surrender.
You are a m0r0n if that is all you can get out of the comment. There was no “surrender” and the fact that all you can see is that is telling of your lack of intellect. It also shows because you cannot seem to admit that the kid made poor choices – HE put himself in a situation to get in conflict with the police officer.
You obviously are one of those that blames others for your own inadequacies and don’t understand anything about personal responsibility.
What a m0r0n you are? What “surrender” – you just keep giving a pass to a criminal that faced repercussions overly severe for his crime. If he had not been a criminal, he would have had that deadly interaction with the police. His own actions precipitated the outcome.
Have only read a couple of articles, I have viewed the dashcam video.
I am not a lawyer (which will become, very clear, very shortly)
I’m not from Illinois.
My questions are these;
Is this officer being charged with “1st degree” murder?
(because it doesn’t look like 1st degree to me, to my ‘Joe Citizen’ eyes.)
Are there “lesser included charges…manslaughter, negligent homicide…?
OR; Is this another case of ‘overcharging’ the officer,
Consequently, when he gets off,
No accountability, again?
Anyone out there, knows whats up?
good questions and insightful
You don’t shoot a deer 16 times! You don’t unload your clip into a person lying on the ground. This was murder…and if you ever become a lawyer, I sure wouldn’t want you to defend me!
If you are an idiot, or drunk or otherwise impaired, you might shoot a deer 16 times.
Then if Game and Wildlife, have a problem with that, they have to “prove” it.
The officer in St..Louis was overcharged, George Zimmerman was overcharged,
and consequently not held accountable for the what should have been obvious,
A lanky, goofy, teenage boy, talking on a cellphone, to a girlfriend in the rain.
The Officer didn’t shoot a deer, he shot a man.
Its taken the DA a year to charge, I am asking a legal question. Is she coming correct?
You want me on your jury, I’m your 2nd best friend, Your innocent until proven guilty.
Re read my post!
Both Zimmerman and Wilson absolutely deserved to be charged. Wilson perhaps deserved to be exonerated…though likely penalized internally or fired for poor policing (anytime an unarmed suspect is shot and killed is basically a FAIL; self defense is rarely an excuse for a supposedly trained cop against someone who doesn’t otherwise have a weapon themselves); you’re a cop with tools at your disposal; kick their *ss!
Zimmerman though should’ve gone to jail; he instigated the situation when told not to and brought the gun into the mix on a public street. Even if a scuffle that to me is a duty to retreat, otherwise one has to contend by his same logic Trayvon was legitimately acting in self-defense and would have been even more justified snatching the piece and wasting Zimmerman, since the guy approached him with a gun. At the very least, George Z. is culpable for manslaughter as otherwise anyone can just institute vigilante justice whenever they feel. For someone who aspired to be a cop, he could’ve kept minimum distance as well announced he was with neighborhood watch…but ultimately he had little right to take the law into his own hands; one thing if some guy’s trying to break into your house; quite another you going out to confront someone not immediately in an act and you bringing a gun.
Exactly, Ive maintained that if Treyvon had been two years younger, He might have broken into a dead run, yelling and screaming,(stranger danger!)
and made it to his Dads girlfriendshouse 150 yds. away.
But at his age, he thought about it too long (Why is this creep following me?)
The Prosecutors threw the case.
Zimmerman was tried in the press and the prosecutor was forced to file charges. Was he wrong in what he did probably, was treyvon wrong in what he did probably, but the burden of proof is beyond any reasonable doubt. That is a very high burden to prove with one person protected by the right to remain silent and the other cannot provide testimony. As for Wilson, he was justified to use deadly force. Michael Brown was on a crime spree, he attempted to get the officers weapon. Wilson had a duty to protect the public from what Brown might have done had he taken to gun from him. It is not always that easy to kick a person’s a$$, a one point in time police officer had to be a certain height and weight. but hiring women and smaller males make the ability kick their a$$es not possible. If a police officer is on the losing end of a fight and the perp can possible take their weapon that creates a situation of imminent threat to serious bodily injury or death. and that is all you need to use deadly force as a police officer.
May well have been the case when Wilson close to Brown; though still in squad car. Myself I don’t buy it when Brown was away from the vehicle and he still had to use the firearm knowing the kid was a problem but otherwise unarmed. You’ve got pepper spray, Taser, your nightstick, your car, backup, and then your sidearm as a last resort. Take aim and shoot something likely nonlethal. Worried about the kid getting the gun? Fire some warning shots or at his legs then drop the clip..otherwise its actually pretty hard to get out of someone’s hand without getting killed, and I’d have less issue with it had Brown been on top of him. Again, I also think Wilson likely didn’t deserve anything for murder, but still an unarmed kid is dead. Far as Brown’s crime spree, he basically shoplifted or at most it was a strong arm situation.; that’s not someone holding up a bank with an AK.
My heart is with the officer. I have no idea how those police officers deal with those uncivilized types on a daily basis, just incredible!
It’s ok, the next Trump rally is around the corner. Maybe you can burn some crosses there to express your sadness.
Why would blacks burn crosses? The only time I’ve ever seen a cross burned was when a democrat did it, and that’s the truth.
The truth is, is that you are a flaming dumbass.
What are you like 90 and you saw some Dixiecrat Klansmen or something? Course how many crosses have been burned in the last 50 years black people have been the most reliable Democrat voting bloc, largely cause the modern GOP was forged out of Goldwater opposition to Civil Rights flipping the country and NIxon/Reagan Southern Strategy. Keep telling and selling your igno-pseudo-history though as only people dumb as you are stupid enough to buy it.
He’s a libertarian. Ignore him. Everyone else does.
Yeah, I’ve read some of your “civilized” postings. Maybe police should investigate you. Or, maybe you feel you’re enough of a government boot-licker to keep you safe…
And, for the record, the Republican party claims to be the party of “small government”, but you sure do seem to luuuuv you some government, so long as it keeps the undesirables down.
Republicans ARE about small government, and CONTROLLED government, and most of the comments that say that the police are necessary but out of control are republicans. The liberals are the ones that are supporting the cop here. Democrats see it’s a black kid and just don’t care.
Huffing all that Rand has damaged your brain if you think it’s primarily republicans who are critical of police shootings.
Really? Because Im pretty sure its the other way around. Which news sites are you reading?
Wow! -Are you living in Bizarro world? Or is this just another manifestation of the right wing science and reality distortion sphere…maybe come full circle? -Cause yours is the exact opposite of the truth!
When have the republicans ever had a small government. Every republican president has grown the government exponentially. They are only concerned about small government when they are out of power or the white house, like now!
Lets do away with the labels and just call it a murder by a criminal cop. When we divide ourselves into blue and red, demo or repub ….who wins?
You libertarians are sure mixed up.
Those police officers deal with those uncivilized types by going out for a drink after their shifts, with themselves, and laughing at the n$ they have killed in that shift.
Those police officers deal with those uncivilized types by deciding how to lie and coverup on their police reports, going to Burger King and deleting surveillance of their uncivilized murder of children, etc.
Those police officers deal with those uncivilized types by wishing that God had given them the intelligence to work in a “nice civilized” suburb, but alas.
Only an uncivilized thug would shot a child 16 times.
My heart goes out to the children of this uncivilized animal, who now know that their father is just another murderous criminal.
if it was your kid your heart would be with the cop what drugs are you on
In 1938 the country decided on professional policing. The first professional Police Force was established, and not long after, the criminals took it over. The first laws that criminals passed were the Sullivan Laws, and they are still in effect. The law established that gun ownership was a privilege that could be handed out for reason, and that most people did not have a reason. The problem was that the laws were passed by a criminal, and only his goons got permits. It worked well for the government.
Then the police forces ceased to be about serving and protecting, and more about crime and making money. This is not conjecture, but cold hard fact.
Now people in these cities are so used to being controlled that they submit to authority blindly. In a video where a cop was beating, and I mean closed fisted beating the tar out of a kid that was 17, a cop walked away from the beating and started demanding that people disburse and leave them to the assault – AND MOST WENT! They were beating a kid held over a police car, in handcuffs, screaming to stop hurting him, and people walked off.
Police are not gods. They are not our masters or our lords. They are servants of the law. They are not there to punish, but to find the person who committed a crime and deliver him safely to the jail where he will face a judge. They are NOT your friend, they are NOT your enemy, they are what they are. They are force, and that is all. Remember that when you are facing one,.. he is not your friend, he is the man who will decide if you go to jail or not, and every single question he asks you is to the end of putting you in jail. Every. One. Of. Them.
So when you see a cop violating his duties, do not walk away… FILM it. If it is bad enough, stop him. If he is acting under color of law, then he is not a cop anymore, but just another criminal.
So True..
I’ll give you a heads up on how the police officers should deal with it. If you feel you are overwhelmed: TAKE A VACATION; if you still feel overwhelmed: GET A DIFFERENT JOB.
Behavior such as this cop exhibited makes every single great cop’s job all that much more difficult.
Ya I dont know how cops can shoot someone 16 times like the way it was done and have people like you who have no problem defending the cops thinking this is normal cop behavior. Just incredible.
The official line of “well this was just one bad cop” would not be quite so laughable if it weren’t for the wagon-circling, lying, perjuring, and report-tampering that at least several other people had to be parties to, in order for this to have been so covered up.
I’m glad we have investigative journalists. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the best ones are in Chicago and in Washington DC.
Yes one bad cop who had a reputation of misconduct but was still allowed to remain of the force. The police command should have seen this coming based on the killers pass record. Yet all was covered up and he was allowed to keep his badge and bad attitude and let loose on the citizenry. More then one head needs to roll here.
My heart is with the citizens. I have no idea how those citizens deal with those uncivilized cop types on a daily basis, just incredible!!!
It is amazing that the only people describing the citizenry as “those uncivilized types” are the police themselves, and those who believe everything a cop says. Cops have been doing this to minorities for decades. Dash cams, body cams, and and smart phones are just now bringing their brutality to light. But still, when the only people who see the videos are the ones employing the corrupt cops, these types of incidents just drown in the bureaucratic muck. On the rare occasion where the general public actually gets to see clearly the brutality brought down on Black and Brown Americans, folks like you think the cops actions are justified. When #BlackLivesMatter protesters are shouting in the streets, they are not just shouting at the system. They’re also shouting at you…
Sorry POS had to like his own comment…lol
Yuo have a nasty Jew Mayor.. enough said
You’re an idiot, sir. Go back under your bridge.
Was his claim inaccurate?
http://www.timesofisrael.com/ethiopian-israelis-bring-anti-racist-protest-to-tel-aviv/
What does being Jewish has to do with anything?
It’s not that he’s Jewish. He’s an Israeli.
Flagged.
No one is above the law– even the police. Sadly, we never learn. In the 1800s, England’s Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The Chicago police are living proof of this, even today. This officer–and those who tried to suppress evidence–must be held accountable. If his superiors had access to this video immediately after the shooting, why didn’t they do something? This is shameful. The officer’s actions, and the inaction of his superiors, will only serve to make the streets more dangerous for citizens and police.
Exactly +1
The arrests need to flow from the officer who shot the kid, and all the
way up the chain of commend to everyone that saw the video and did
nothing. It’s called Accessory to a Crime. The Chicago PD wasn’t even
investigating it! The FBI was.
I agree. All the way to the top.
Its funny how its always the FBI (Federal government) in this case that always has to swoop in and save the day and its always the state and local government that turns out being the bad guys. Thats states rights for ya.
The rest of the cops in the video are accomplices and should be treated as such.
The six most corrupt police forces in our nation are Chicago, New York, California, New Orleans, New Jersey and Washington DC. ALL are anti-gun, ALL are filled with criminal police, and ALL are dangerous to even visit.
Well I have lived in Los Angeles since 1994 and it is certainly not dangerous to visit. Living here has been fine.
You sound like my mother-in-law trying to convince me not to stay in the states.
That’s the irony isn’t it? -Every stereotype that white Americans have against black ones, the world has against white Americans; to foreigners the “Ugly American” is white…yet black as viewed by certain American whites. Contrast so juicy and delicious!
you live in a strange world where everything is stacked against you despite all evidence to the contrary. buck up and stop whining.
Not whining at all; actually trying to do something about. This article was only about one man killed by police of which they NEVER go to jail for. Contrast this with here in the “Land of the Free” we have 1 out of every 4 people locked up worldwide, yet with only 4% the global population and still crime through the roof. What’s more though, cops kill roughly 1100 people in the US every year; were we to have a per capita rate similar to European nations, this would be 5-20 people per year or otherwise a rounding error compared to us as we’re two orders of magnitude greater! Example though, our cops kill at a rate 3,800% higher than in Germany, at a rate 21,400% (Yes that’s 214 times greater) than police in England. For instance, British police have killed one unarmed person(a knife in this case) since 2008; here the past year statistics available(2013), cops have killed nearly 600 who’ve not had a gun in their possession. Course obviously our stats way skewed since our criminals do have guns and theirs by and large don’t but ultimately much of this comes down to mainly differences in training; there they are only allowed to use lethal force as an absolute last resort; even first shots if taken must be warning then aimed for non-fatal area(cause these men are supposed to be trained professionals able to take someone down without killing them) meanwhile here we’re totally Keystone “fire when fear”. And this isn’t just for black people as if you’re white in the US you are still nearly 25 times as likely to be killed by police than the European average! Meanwhile politicians go ape bananas about “keeping us safe” from terror…yet far more people are killed every year by lightning. What’s more if we truly are “at war” then in comparison places over there in Europe lost thousands nightly in bombing raids every day of the week and we shake in our boots over a hundred or so a decade which is exactly what terrorists want. Again meanwhile cops kill those 1100 a year which, in fairness, only pails in comparison to the million and a half people we’ve lost in this country to guns since 1970! This nearly twice what we’ve lost in all the wars in our entire history! (which worse should be noted the primary causes of death were first by disease, then artillery/explosive devices well ahead of guns)! So perhaps this is “whining” but can’t really argue with the stats.
The cops did this for years killing people white and black then cover it up now with video they cant but the sure lie ( I was scare ) that the magic word
If I were a Chicago tax payer I would be livid over having to pay taxes to support this corrupt law enforcement system and use taxes to pay large litigation or out of court settlements. I will assure anyone that the fastest, most effective way to immediately institute changes in this corrupt police system is to make all lawsuit payments come directly from police pension funds. Make the people responsible for the blue shield circled wagons pay out of their own pockets. This would immediately cause decent, law abiding cops to turn in bad cops so that the risk of losing pension funds goes down. Policing needs to begin from the inside out and the entire culture has to change. Hit them where it hurts – in the pension fund.
+1 Exactly!
Great Idea!
That’s a really interesting idea. It’s hard to believe it wouldn’t come up in all these conversations. If anyone with power to change things hears it, it isn’t being acknowledged. There’s got to be a better way than socking it to taxpayers who didn’t do anything. The idea is the taxpayers will put pressure on “the city” …but that ain’t gonna happen. It never does.
As someone that lives in Chicago, I broke out into a sweat when I read this. Just brilliant. We are so heavily taxed and I feel really uneasy walking around at night and I live in a safe, northside neighborhood. I used to adore this city but it seems beyond repair right now. Denver, here I come.
I couldn’t get the he** out of Chicago fast enough……………I did my 17 year tour of “duty”……
Spot on Marc! Me and my brother have been saying the same thing about paying lawsuits out of their own pension fund. And I can guarantee these murders will drop considerably once they have to pay out of their own money. And the legal system must start throwing the book at the thugs with badges.
This incident calls for a U.S. Justice Department federal investigation; the kind they had in Ferguson, Missouri. Anything short of that will be a “white wash”.
And, for starters Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the police commissioner, city prosecutor, police chief, the Grand Jury who saw the video, all of the street cops at the scene who lied during their Grand Jury testimony, and the City of Chicago itself for demanding, as part of the monetary settlement for the “wrongful death suit” for Laquan McDonald, a confidentiality agreement that prevented the facts from coming out should be indicted. ALL OF THE FORTHCOMING CHARGES THAT INEVITABLY WILL COME OUT OF THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE FELONIES; MORE THAN ONE COUNT FOR EACH PARTY INVOLVED!!!
They should lock them all up and throw away the key.
The people living in the City of Chicago are living in a POLICE STATE! Where is the democracy? There is none. And, to think the U. S. government on the City, State, and Federal level accuse al Qaeda, ISIS, Syria’s Assad, and countries like Iran and North Korea of having totalitarian regimes, and that we (the U.S. Government) call for their overthrow. After incidents like this we should be ashamed to even lift our eyes and accuse them of any wrong doing. The City of Chicago is a disgrace to every free people around the world. It’s no wonder that the entire world hates America.
And, as a special note to all the refugees who want to come to America to get away from Assad and ISIS, you better think twice before you come here. Because, this is the way our government treats its’ minorities. Think about it, and go somewhere else where democracy is practiced.
This entire incident is unbelievable.
1. As for an investigation — not happening! Dept of Justice is a Cabinet post of the President. Like me som Obama, but I am a realist. Rahm Emanuel was President Obama’s Chief of Staff before he became mayor. Soooo…
2. As for Syrian Refugees coming to America; even Chicago police can’t hold a candle to he brutality of ISIL — but not by much…
I guess most of us have forgotten about “Serpico”, “The LA Ramparts Station fiasco”, “Mark Furman”, “The Cleveland Police Corruption Scandal of 1995”, “The Philly 39th District Corruption scandal”, “The Miami River Cops scandal”, “The New Orleans Killer Cop scandal” “Amadou Diallo”, “Sean Bell”, “Abner Louima”,”Patrick Dorismond”, “Rodney King”, “Oscar Grant”, “Timothy Stansbury”, “Jonny Gammage” and the list goes on and on. These are not just a few bad apples, this is indicative of a “mind set”.
The Police stopped being a force that served the community a long time ago. They are now AN OCCUPYING PARAMILITARY FORCE! Their “Chief” has 4 Stars, like a General. They have Captains, Lieutenants, Sargents and Corporals. They have Special Forces (SWAT) and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers). They have grenades and fully automatic weapons along with high-tech crowd control devices. They have KILLED UNARMED CITIZENS so many times that I have lost count!
The police have ALWAYS been the pos you see today. They are modern day slave patrols – with the Supreme Court-given rights to treat all of us as less than human.
And then we pay their salaries!!
and retirement!
It’s not even that; even if and when they don’t kill, they all but destroy lives with the numbers we have incarcerated in our prison system. Some of this is on black communities though too; senseless crime is no form of legitimate protest and is completely counterproductive as senseless only adds to the vicious spiral downward; every black man that has ever picked up a gun will ill intent has had a hand in getting these kids killed as he himself does in willfully becoming a caged animal; a lower status in many than being a slave particularly when partly by choice; rage against the system and the ghetto, but make sure its organized and politically targeted as otherwise is all for not. Is it hard out there? -Most certainly, but people have got to learn first to take care of their own and try to do whatever they can to live with purpose.
I am still hoping, someone can answer my question.
Is this officer being “Overcharged” ?
With a charge that cannot be proved without a reasonable doubt?
Me (the non – lawyer) can see the “Pirouette” causing an Officer (any officer) to fire his gun,
However, after the first couple or three or four (explainable?) shots, do the next twelve shots,
Get you to Pre-meditated murder?
Or is it manslaughter, negligent homicide…?
The Pirouette, as you call it was due to him being shot!(SMH)
someone else has mentioned that to me. It was not clear on the website I viewed.
You might be right, but either way, he never crossed that dividing line!
I just read the autopsy report.
No PCP… No Alcohol. No drugs.
This whole thing looks bad.
A lot of people need to be fired over this, and some need to be criminally prosecuted.
The main problem for that dirty pig is that the juvenile was moving away from him and the pig moved towards the juvenile before unloading his manhood stimulator. The pig was not under any threat and actually closed distance to the obviously-to-everyone-else-in-the-world-guy-in-trouble.
Actually, no. Definition of Premeditated Murder “The crime of wrongfully and intentionally causing the death of another human being (also known as murder) after rationally considering the timing or method of doing so, in order to either increase the likelihood of success, or to evade detection or apprehension.. The first two shots fired dropped the suspect, then there was a pause (premeditation could be as short as a couple of seconds). Seconds later, 14 other shots were fired. So “timing and method,” and “the “increasing the likelihood success,” applies here. Then the cop systematically lied, erased evidence, and recruited other officers in collusion of his false narrative (false police reports); which allows the “…evade detection or apprehension…” part of the definition to be applied.
Best outcome, all those guys he may have put in prison get a lifetime of retribution on this guy.
First three shots are not explainable, unless the officer knew the kid had a gun hidden in his back that he could fire with the blink of his eye
this is one of many charges to come.
They should have drug tested him, and confiscated his computer to see if he was a white supremacist, or some other form of racist. My guess is the way he murdered this kid, was pure and evil hatred.
“Hoods and Badges: 2006 FBI Report Warned Of White Supremacists Infiltrating Americaās Police Force”.
http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/racism/fbi-warned-white-supremacist-police-force-report/
Come on you lazy media, do your job and expose these cops for what they are.
Just wondering.. is the double entry wound for #7 just a typo or was it placed there as an unknown?
Probably a mistake.
Of the 16 wounds indicated in the drawing, all match up an entrance with either an exit or a bullet recovery, except for #7. #1 and #14 both have only single arrows, presumably because the entrance and recovery locations were physically very close together.
Only #7 shows a discrepancy of two “entrance” circles, so I agree that is probably a simple documentation error during autopsy. But whatever the explanation for that discrepancy, clearly the guy was shot full of holes. I would guess that autopsy photographs could be used to confirm the drawing and possibly correct the one mistake.
It is painfully obvious that this “cop” would have gotten away with this without that video. No wonder black people are so angry. This probably happens a lot, just like they are saying.
It’s time for McCarthy to go. He is a disgrace to the Force.
He needs to take that sorryas of a mayor with him.
Where is CHRIS CHRISTIE HE BLAME PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR THE POLICE KILLING AND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER, CHRISTIE COME OUT and SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN GOOD AT PLAYING THE RACE CARD.
Huh? Incoherent try again.
The cover up needs to be investigated by the DOJ and FBI. Obviously there have been violations of civil rights and other laws that should be prosecuted to the fullest extant. The public deserves to know who knew what and when they knew it. Emanuel and Obama’s friendship aside this deserves and demands the highest level of scrutiny…
The entire city of Chicanery should be indicted for covering the murder of this 17 years old.
It is a cover up from the top on down, Rahm did not want it publicized because it was doing the election. Please somebody look into this…this is literally someone saying don’t believe your lying eyes!
This really would have sunk rahm’s reelection bid. No wonder he didn’t release it. His statement seems contrite even more so when it took a year to bring charges against the officer and he actively fought against the video’s release. Notice how he says we must bring this one person to justice. It may be more than just one person.
Rahm covered this up big all because he was in a tight re-election. He should resign and so should the CPD Police Chief. Thank God I left that city. I just wish it hadn’t taken as long as it took for me to get the he** out……..
The people of Chicago, specifically the black people of Chicago should have realize long before this incident and cover-up that Mayor Rahm is an untrustworthy POS. Scum they should never support regardless of party and or propaganda. His actions tell you all you need to know about him, Any black(s) who supported Rahm are stupid fools who aren’t paying attention.
…except Republicans have proven to be POS too…for Blacks it is the lesser of two evils supported by the racists and their white supremacy polices. Even now, most on here likely do not give a chit about the murdered Blacks. They are conservatives who want to take the office from Rahm…Rahm is a POS…ALL Republicans are POS. For Blacks it can be damned if you do damned if you don’t. But, history has proven one thing, injustice doesn’t just stop at one individual or class…your chickens will come home to roost.
Did a single city council member ask…why are we signing off on this?
Yep, but they didn’t care. They knew what it was for.
Plausible Deniability
Great article, hope a little Watergate will follow, with you help.
For anyone who believes that “Conspiracy Theories” but always be wrong, that the people who claim government misconduct must always be wrong, pay attention to this quote:
āAnd from everything weāve learned, compulsively at every level, from the cops on the scene to the highest levels of government, they responded by circling the wagons and by fabricating a narrative that they knew was completely false.ā
Upon seeing a situation that they recognized would damage them, the Chicago cops instantly started creating a cover story, from the shooing away of witnesses to the careful deletion of the CC cam footage from the adjacent Burger King.
Governments lie–and so do their employees–to avoid embarrassment. Always question the official narrative!
I learned that in college: “QUESTION AUTHORITY!”
They cover up because they know they are all murderers and have done the same thing. Un-American thugs. The same as any criminal gang. Scum. And they deserve to be punished severely. How many lives have they ruined? Ruin theirs.
The idea that Rahm Emanual would stand at a podium and volunteer that he had NOT seen the video of the shooting, is just despicable. Who the eff is he trying to fool? That’s about as believable as the notion that it’s sheer coincidence that a murder charge is brought on the very same day that the video is ORDERED released. Rahm, you slippery sonofabitch. You gotta go.
So the next mayor will magically fix the rotten corrupt racist CPD. Really?
Well it’s already concluded that this one will not, so at least there is hope in a replacement.
Now, I understand WHY the family did not want the video released, it was part of the settlement agreement. ‘Not sure what this says about the family and their attorney…does not seem they were interested in justice for their son.
Even justice wouldn’t bring back their son.
Or perhaps as Chicago residents, they already knew the likelihood of a cop being charged with murder, or any charges, were close to nil. At the time they signed the agreement, it is highly likely that the family did not know that this reporter and lawyer were investigating on the street, and working to get the video released. I would be very careful before condemning the family, who, might I remind you, had just had their young son executed the Fall before.
Or as a mother or father, would you like to see images of your child being ‘executed’ running on TV feeds all day?
SOMEONE SHOULD BLOW THAT PRECINCT UP… IF THESE DEVIL COPS CAN’T GET THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER, THEN THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE ONE.
just start putting caps in all cops heads, it is a war against the people and the pigs need to be stopped by any means necessary.
Better be careful what you write online, you may get a friendly visit from a representative of your friendly police state…just saying
Chicago is a cesspool of corruption. Countless murders, failing finances, huge unfunded liabilities and obligations that will bankrupt the city.
This is a terrible murder, and hopefully justice will be served.
What if the victim was Hispanic? Would this have received the same amount of press?
I don’t know but I would hope that any person (regardless of color) would receive justice under similar circumstances.
Hope in one hand an whatever in the other and see which one fills up quicker
Cameras on every cop and civilian review groups is the only way to start ending this nonsense in America.
The cops always have money for tanks and flash grenades. Don’t allow another purchase until cameras are in place.
Look if you want to fix a problem you start by admitting there is a problem.
Yes we have a drug war problem, end the drug wars.
it’s time to get the Feds involved. there is room for a lot more charges.
The Feds created this mess with their war on drugs, bringing them in will only cause more cover ups and spin.
White lies matter…
THAT is the problem.
Too bad that the mayor isn’t White.
I’m no lawyer but it seems that the problem will not be solved until everyone who knew about the coverup is charged, probably by the feds. Conspiracy to commit murder, criminal negligence, dereliction of duty, obstruction of justice. Something significant and criminal.
There needs to be a lot more people being indicted including Anita Alvarez.
Yep, she had the video for over a year and did nothing, why isn’t she being indicted?
This seems to be the new tactic charge the police officer with a charge that doesn’t fit the crime and they will eventually walk after trial. These prosecutors are a big part of the problem. They wait before charging police with crimes and help rig the system. Prosecutors work too closely with police to be effective. That position should not be in the hands of a single individual. There should be an independent judicial body of individuals with equal vote who need to come to consensus in their determination of charges.
First degree seemed a little out there. It has the benefit of looking “tough on police crime” with the added “benefit” of leading to an almost certain acquittal when it doesn’t rise to the standard of first-degree.
I’m definitely no lawyer, but I was under the impression, however, that some states allowed juries to select a lesser charge if the crime didn’t meet the standards of the greater. So a jury could reject first degree and go with second degree? I don’t know if 1) I understand that correctly or 2) if Illinois is a state that allows for that.
systemic problems require systemic remedies.
Yea ending the war on drugs, then disarm police.
And start prosecuting them, plus stop allowing their buddies in the prosecutors office to play defense attorney instead of doing their job. Start firing and disbarring prosecutors who obviously throw cases would be a good start.
I know its hard to see, but cops are victims of the war on drugs as well. It’s not us or them, the problem is the federal
Govs drug prohibition policies that drive this mess, and created a system of mass incarceration. We have to end the war on drugs now it should be the biggest issue of 2016.
I’m opting for climate change as the primary. If the Earth goes, we needn’t worry about small matters such as justice.
You’ll also note that the privatized prisons are now holding about 500 women in Alabama on suspicion or trumped up charges of trying to end their pregnancies or just having a natural miscarriage. Usually because the women took something the War on Drugs disapproves of. ( PhRMA is OK, tho)
So, there’s another low/no risk batch of inmates for the private prisons to hold indefinitely while murderers and assaulters and serial killers, etc walk on probation cause they’re harder to deal with.
Ohh poor little piggies…just doin there jobs and taken orders to keep the family fed. What are they to do…it’s so hard busting down doors to terrorize people over a plant, and to shoot people because they wont heed our totalitarian commands, being coddled by the justice system, and armed to the teeth just like we were in the army.
Climate Change tops all of our other on going Human problems.
Did you watch the video, prohibitions create violence, Mexico has had more deaths in the last 10 years than all US casualties from ww2, the drug war affects all us, hinders modern medicine, creates a violent black market, a system of mass incarceration where black males are arrested and incarcerated at 7 times the rate of white males for non-violent drug crimes, creates a resentment of police that we see in society. This is not only the biggest issue of our time, it’s the biggest crime ever committed by the United states government, it’s our longest war a war against ourselves.
The war on drugs excaserbated all the problems it was intended to fix and made some new ones.
Also ending the drug war help reduce climate change, Google climate change war on drugs
End the war on drugs
That’s funny.
Cops aren’t net victims of the drug war. They’re net beneficiaries. Besides, nobody forces them to remain in a job that requires them to assault, arrest, or kill people for what are by and large victimless crimes (an oxymoron).
I agree with you 100% and “net beneficiaries” is the perfect term to desrcibe it.
My point is that when stuff like this happens we don’t go out and protest the federal goverbments policy, the war on drugs created this system of mass incarceration that is protected by the police state. This cop will go to jail and he should, but it won’t change a thing till the majority of us wake up to the reality of the war on drugs. People on the comments are even saying the Feds should do something, there the ones who created his mess with there policies, the police force was nationalized with the drug war by them. We need to recognize this to change anything, vote only for candidates that promise to end the war on drugs.
So even charitably we have what appears to be a very ordinary aiding and abetting, conspiracy, etc, by officialdom. Someone ought to be prodded by the media to continue this investigation.
Saw the movie Spotlight this past weekend and I am amazed at how these high level cover-ups are so very, very similar. The Catholic Church and, so it seems, far too many police departments, fail their responsibility for due diligence when hiring (or ordaining) and then refuse to admit to their hiring or ordaining failures. So we continue to see dead and psychologically damaged young people and no one is held accountable for continuing to employ these monsters. We need some tigers like those portrayed in the movie to get to the truth about this cover-up and rid the systems of the enablers.
This is disgusting. It’s time to end the Chicago Police State or see the people of this great city turn it into ashes one more time.
And this time Mrs Leary’s cow will not be involved
The cops involved all the way up to the mayor need to be charged with conspiracy/accessory after the fact. they lied about the facts and tried to cover up a muuuuuurder. If civilians did this they would all go down but somehow people entrusted by the public to enforce and uphold the law get a pass when they break it… unacceptable. This is the problem in all police precincts. A crackdown on local cops/civ leadership needs to come from the feds and it better come soon or you will see Ferguson/Baltimore in more cities and much worse.
African American Men Were Always A Victim
And the women as well.
See we know the truth and its sad
this has been happening in Chicago for the longest time Remember 1968 Democratic Convention??? Those were actual Police Riots!!!!!
Yup. I remember it well. I also remember how they blamed the hippies
Yea they did! We wanted Love and Peace. Still do. Why would that frighten strong men?
Because they can’t make $$$ off it AND they don’t know what it is. They think it’s “weakness”
I remember.
Excellent story!
How is this not the front page headline of every newspaper in the USA?
Very telling.
How the heck did Rahm the fascist Emanuel ever get re-elected? Rahm as Obama’s chief of staff explains why Obama shifted so far to the right in his 1st term and lied to us about the needed changes he would enact.
Rahm needs to resign – there is no excuse for this latest racist act by him and his staff!
You might note that many “elections” have had surprising results in America here lately.
Some might even call our election system “rigged”.
And yeah, I always figured Rahm was CoS to keep Obama on the Neo Liberal straight and narrow and got that plum job for his great work.
Rahm also helped Bush ram a bunch of “trade” deals through during the last year of W’s regime.
Who knows what the guy really wants except more power.
Then, there’s his dual citizenship with Israel.
That man shouldn’t be anywhere near “public” office
Bingo.
Cop did not “empty his service revolver” as no revolver can hold 16 rounds of ammunition. “Revolver” should be “pistol”, “gun”, or “firearm” I think for the dramatic flair you could could add the modifiers “semi-automatic, magazine fed” if you want to spice it up a little bit to make the gun sound as bad as possible. Your lingo for police weapons is at least 20 years out of date, if not 30.
On another note, good cops need to quit protecting bad cops. The bad cops threaten the lives of the people in the community that the good cops are trying to protect.
I also think looking for reform in Chicago is a lost hope. The politicians that you keep voting for are corrupt and you know they are corrupt, the whole country knows they are corrupt and will do whatever will keep themselves in power including covering up a murder.
I noticed the revolver description also, likely the writer simply isn’t familiar with firearms. If cops want to protect criminal cops, fine, but have them charged with accessory and aiding and abetting every time they do and watch that come to a screeching halt.
I agree. They should have an obligation to intervene in any crime in progress, even if it’s one of their own. And they should be held to a higher standard if they witness something and do nothing – contributing to the cover up.
Cops who protect “bad cops” aren’t “good cops.”
Amen!!
You know so much about guns! That gun information on guns really moved the conversation forward on this murder.
It’s a point of inaccuracy, which weakens the writer’s credibility to present accurate, factual information. What other “minor” detail did they miss, or fail to report?
Maybe McDonald really lived!
“no revolver can hold 16 rounds of ammunition.”
That is not true, although I don’t know of any police force in the US that would allow its officers to carry a revolver with a capacity of 16 or more bullets.
In any event, it is safe to say that the writer doesn’t know much about guns.
Two questions that definitely need to be answered, 1. why didn’t the DA immediately arrest and charge the cop, she had the video. 2. why hasn’t there been an investigation and charges against all involved who conspired to cover up this murder. This prosecutor should not survive this criminal coverup without at least being fired and permanently disbarred, minimum. She should be charged along with the rest of the cops who were involved in the coverup with criminal conspiracy to hide a murder.
You forgot the mayor.
If he saw the video then he should be charged with at least dereliction of duty. But then again the Chicago electorate who voted for him should be declared incompetent.
Adding the mayor. Beeeeeeeeep.
Jim, they thought they had this thing all wrapped up after the settlement with the family.
Surprise surprise surprise, now, if they can just keep the corrupt DA from throwing the case which you can be sure she’ll do if given half a chance.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/11/chicago_paid_5_million_to_shooting_victims_family_keeping_them_quiet_and_video_secret_while_rahm_reelected_.html
“Never let a crisis”…….you know the rest.
I think he cioned that little aphorism
Nope. It was Churchill.
All involved should be fired. And the public should except no less.
Or better yet how’s about they face criminal charges for the crimes they committed and get fired?
I’m down with that.
I don’t know Why Rahm’s behavior should shock anyone. He’s been doing it since he was in the Federal government.
Rahm is a total DINO. Look up DINO in the dictionary and there’s his picture
Service revolver? Do reporters even try to get facts about firearms correct?
Why do you care so much about the gun?
He only cares about poking holes, any hole he can in the story, to divert attention. Period.
Listen up, Dummy, because you obviously need someone to explain what is going on here.
No holes have been poked. Some people, myself included, have clarified the writer’s account by pointing out that there is an error present in his reporting because he doesn’t know the difference between a revolver and a semi auto, period, end of story.
We care because it is sloppy journalism.
Riiiiight.
Yep, that is right. First you have writers calling semi autos, “revolvers,” and next you have them calling AR-15’s, “assault weapons,” and/or, “machine guns,” or calling magazines, “clips,” and vice versa.
I’ll tell you what. I propose that maxi pads and tampons be sold in plain white sealed boxes labeled simply as, “tampons.” After all, I’m a guy, so why should I care or even know the difference between the two?
If it were a story about someone being murdered, I wouldn’t care if they were tampons or toilet paper. Don’t worry about the gun. The gun is fine. Is that what you wanted to hear?
Hey Dummy,
If we allow ignorant people to distort facts, such as calling McDonald’s gun a, “revolver,” a semi auto soon becomes a revolver in the narrative, which coupled with McDonald firing 16 shots, leads anyone with half a brain to conclude that he must have fired off all of his revolver’s rounds, then reloaded and fired off all of his rounds again, then reloaded and fired off four more rounds.
Similarly, if a small child in the care of a teenage male babysitter chokes to death on toilet paper, that child’s parents might not find as much fault with the sitter as they would if they were to discover that the child choked on a tampon, especially if the mother is the only female living in the home, and she uses maxi pads exclusively.
Then again, in your world there is no difference between the parents being told that their child choked upon toilet paper, and being told that their child choked upon a tampon, while someone like me, on the other hand, might decide that the fact that the child choked on a tampon warrants the questioning of the babysitter as to whether he had a female companion in the house while the parents were gone, and to wonder whether he had been watching the child as he was hired to do, or whether he was otherwise engaged while the child was choking to death.
In other words, this is why people like you have difficulty winning a game of checkers, while people like me win regularly playing three-dimensional chess.
Because the shots don’t add up 16
Most cops carry small 9mm or .40 a gun that has a small magazine. Did the cop reload and continue to shoot? Did another cop shoot as well? Was the cop using something other than a department issued weapon?
All valid questions considering someone was murdered.
No. No. No.
Your right. We should definitely focus on the name for the officer’s gun, instead of the fact that the officer used that gun to shoot an unarmed man 16 times. Good call!
I don’t think he’s necessarily trying to divert intention. Reporters need to get the facts right. It doesn’t change the more important facts about this and other police violence cases, but encountering basic errors like this makes it more difficult to read an article and trust it.
Everyone on earth knows that police officers guns are commonly referred to as service revolvers, whether or not they’re actually revolvers anymore.
I have never heard of any such convention before. I thought that people said “service weapon” or “service pistol” instead. If something isn’t a revolver, I don’t think it should be called one. Do a web search for “service revolver” and tell me what you see. I see the Wikipedia article for “service pistol” and a bunch of references to actual revolvers.
I don’t want to have a lengthy discussion on this; I assumed I wouldn’t be challenged on something so basic and objective. So if you don’t have a credible source, feel free to just leave the discussion here.
No… semi autos are referred to as, “service weapons.”
They’re all service revolvers to me, gun nut.
I dont think understanding the facts on weapons makes some a “gun nut” there are a lot of question to be answered with the 16shots. A typical service weapon is going to be a .40caliber pistol or 9mm, these two pistols only hold 7-8 rounds when fully loaded. Which makes me wonder :
was this cop using a larger magazine then given to him by the department?
Did he use two full magazines of ammunition, meaning did he reload??
Did a fellow officer unload his rounds as well?
Was the officer not using his department issue weapon and using a personal one?
Doesn’t change the fact that this was murder, but it does bring up some questions. Why did the cop have 16 rounds in his gun? He would have needed parts other than what came with the gun.
I get your point. I listened to the DA’s press conference yesterday and she said that the officer had a gun with a capacity of 16 rounds, and he emptied it. She also commented that he started shooting 6 seconds after getting out of the car and the entire shooting was over within 13 or 14 seconds. I doubt that she would have those facts wrong. The question about what the journalist calls the weapon seems irrelevant and is being perceived as a distraction and a ‘way out’ for the officer when, in fact, it’s irrelevant.
That said, I now understand the question based on someone only receiving info through this article. I heard most of the story directly from the DA’s mouth.
The DA also confirmed that only one officer of the 8 ( I believe) on the scene who opened fire. She also said that another officer told him to hold his fire while he kicks the knife away.
Where do you people come from?
The Glock 17 is the most commonly-deployed law enforcement weapon in the world, and has a standard magazine capacity of 17, 9mm rounds.
So can I assume that you refer to your toaster as a, “rotisserie oven?”
Ignorance is not something to be proud of, so instead of spending so mcuh energy in an attempt to remain ignorant, why don’t you go to Google and educate yourself with respect to the definition of a, “revolver.”
I want to draw your attention to the fact that another reporter said that the cop jumped out of his police car and started shooting. Can you believe that guy? He called it a police ‘car’!!! When it was actually a mid sized SUV! Don’t let them get away with it! Go and cast your doubt on the entire article and correct the record! Not only is it an SUV, but it Lso, clearly, has 4 wheel drive!!
While it is a specific type of weapon, revolver has been used for a long time as a general term for a gun. Language is fluid, and not dense, unlike some.
Nope.
“Revolver,” has only ever been used as a general term for, “gun,” by people who don’t know what they are talking about.
It’s good to know that facts don’t matter to intellectually-lazy people like you.
the citys`s police chief and mayor rahm must resign, plain and simple.
The mayor specifically stated yesterday that he had not viewed the video. Are you kidding me? LIE….
The mayor is acting like a gang leader…his Commissioner and DA are acting like his lieutenants. Their corner boy(VanDyke) is going to bring all of them down. Rahm will not survive this incident. Neither will his lieutenants. VanDyke will see to that.
The Whole demented right wing is acting exactlly the same. Atrocious! Wake up before someone shoots you!
Rahm is not a right winger, sadly he is acting like a a stupid thug anyway. Charge everyone up the chain, including the mayor with obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
“unloaded his service revolver”?
“forget it…he’s rolling…”
A revolver typically holds 6 shots. That would require 2 reloadings. It is plausible that a 9mm sei-automatic pistol could have a 16 round magazine.
That would be scary. The officer shot the unarmed man, emptied his revolver, then reloaded, shot and emptied his revolver again, reloaded a second time, and shot him some more, just in case.
Didn’t happen.
According to the da’s press conference, his revolver had 16 round capacity and it was emptied on the teen.
A couple of us addressed this yesterday. It was not a revolver. It was a semi-auto pistol. For those who don’t know the difference, you can find an explanation here:
http://www.google.com
Yes, there are such things as high-capacity revolvers, but they are for the most part novelties, and I would bet that no police force in the U.S. would sanction their use by its officers.
Who cares if it’s the reporter called it a service revolver vs a service pistol! Does that change what happened? Didn’t think so.
Why not say that Laquan’s soul was seen floating off to heaven as harps and trumpets were heard in the distance? After all, it wouldn’t change what happened, and it might even bring a much-needed smile to a simple-minded person such as yourself.
Go stand in traffic.
Join our petition to demand RELIABLE evidence for police shootings at http://www.TheMagCam.com, the easiest most reliable way to automatically record shootings. As evidence becomes common place so will transparency and accountability.
I’ll sign, but please do not put me on a mailing list.
Did you notice how the driver veered his squad car once the cop started to shoot, like he was trying to avoid the recording of the execution. Every single cop presence at the moment of the shooting should had been charged with accessory to murder. It is very clear that it was a big cover from top to bottom.
This is a good example on how corrupt is Chicago (the most corrupt city in U.S in the 3rd most corrupt state). Take a look at the most recently headlines: Chicago Public Schools CEO found guilty for corruption; 1/3 of Chicago city workers made $100K or more last year thanks to insane overtime paid. And the list goes on.
Great observation, similar to the one where the kid was killed for “flashing his brights” when the cop deployed his taser he also turns his body so the body cam can’t see the taser being fired.
I am so tired of the ‘not all cops are bad’ bullshit. This is going on and others on the force are allowing these things to happen.
This is exactly what I was saying to a coworker. They only made it worse by trying to cover it up. Haven’t they learned the truth always comes out and only makes it worse once it does?
After having the secret police exposed they should know that no one trusts them anymore to do the right thing for the people. They are a criminal force in Chicago and the whole institution needs to be undone and rebuilt from the top down. More people need to be charged with this cover up.
Sadly this case proves, that the truth rarely comes out, and cover-ups are the norm in Chicago.
Chicago and all across this country!
Over 40 years later and the systemic factors of the war on drugs are still playing out.
The cover up is nothing unusual, after all, its been going on for centuries w/law enforcement. We forget about the cops (Chicago) that beat out confessions during the 60’s. Press did a lousy job on that one too. The bigger questions about this cover up, why did the family only settle for 5M? Not saying they could have gotten some huge settlement wo/a court case, but 5M???
The following article shows the depth of police insanity: http://bigbudsmag.com/marijuana-growers-always-known-american-police-control/
Obama’s BFF the mayor is a corrupt, evil man. The Chicago PD has been corrupt and evil for decades. The mainstream media helped cover this story. It took a progressive “left” journalist to do the job a real journalist is to do. He should get a Pulitzer. All the police officers and bureaucrats who covered this up should go to jail, and the murderous cop should be executed.
Please leave Obama out of this. This is about an execution, a cover-up – and the VERY FIRST WORD in your reply is “Obama”. Sweet Jesus.
Obama and his lackey Rahm are integral to the story of corruption of Chicago government that includes the cover-up. Many black leaders and others note that even though Obama was a Chicago civil rights attorney, he’s done little to focus on the terrible police corruption and black on black violence of his former home city. You should learn to read an entire comment before you go off.
Uh huh. No way does Chicago have a reputation for corrupt city government going back a century. Obama, who never worked in Chicago government, is “integral” its story because he’s friends with the guy who’s been mayor for the last 4 years.
Integral Schmintegral. My post was not me “going off”, btw. And is Obama only going to focus only on his “former home city”? No, he can do little as POTUS for it. What do they expect him to do? With all the layers of government there, why are they looking to him, halfway across the country? You just wanted to get an Obama dig in there somehow, that’s all, under the cover of what other people have said about him. If Obama was as “integral” as you claim, he’d be woven throughout your initial comment instead of just Emmanuel being his “BFF”.
Carson/Walker
Both of you are children. Barry doesn’t make any of his own decisions. He’s a manufactured stooge puppeteered from above, or do you think that people simply come out of nowhere only to find themselves sitting on thrones?
Booor – riiinnng! Yeah, he came from nowhere, people fake-voted for him – twice -and here we are today. Magic!
ICADUMBASS.
Yeah, he decided that he was going to be the Democrat’s nominee and succeeded in winning over those who control the party so that they would be happy to make him the most powerful man in the world.
You’re a simpleton.
Oh, yeah, sorry. The PTB (Powers That Be) pick the Presidents, I forgot. Hillary ran in 2008, but They told her, “Waaaaiiit”. But she put up a good front, pretending to run against Obama The Chosen One, as did all the other candidates for both elections.
So who did they pick for 2016? Any ideas?
Jeb and Hillary. They own Cruz’s wife, so he could be a last-minute substitution for the Republicans. Look for Trump to drop out as soon as there is no remaining chance for Rand to gain any traction.
You’re welcome for the crystal-ball reading. Now use it to your advantage, or go back to sleep.
As for Barry Whatshisname, yeah, you’re right, he decided that he was going to be president and made it happen, because that’s just what people with dubious backgrounds do naturally. After all, everyone knows that each party’s political machinery just opens itself up and hands over its top spot to whomever wants it the most.
Hey great, thanks for the info!
You’re right. Barry orchestrated the following with the help of the Choom Gang:
cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/06/btsc.welch.obama.press/
Hey, you know what? I’ll give you one: Bush. Both elections. Even the Supreme Court got involved in the first one.
And I’ll give you one: JFK, compliments of Daley’s Chicago Machine.
Go back to your cave
The politicians of today enlist police endorsements and they protect each other. Think police state.
This will only get worse unless the public becomes informed, involved and votes corrupt officials out of office.
Anyone have a link to the actual police report? I’ve seen several articles accusing CPD of a cover-up, but so far all have conflated the narrative of the FOP, a police union, with the CPD. The FOP provides attorneys for LEOs and the majority of these attorneys represent these officers in cases against their departments. In other words, the departments are often vigilant in policing themselves, and the FOP represents officers against these efforts. The “shot in the chest” detail, to my knowledge, comes from the FOP. Given the fact that the officers on scene gave accurate accounts of the shooting (from what I’ve read) I think it’s prudent to seek more information before accusing CPD of a cover-up. Based on the details I’ve seen, the most parsimonious explantion to me is that CPD and the DA were investigating the case, but this investigation was slowed by the FOP’s involvement from the start as well as concerns about PR. Certainly it’s been poorly handled, but “cover-up,” based on the info available so far, is reckless and undermines public safety by creating the impression of widespread collusion and corruption. That said, I would like to know more about the BK CCTV and how that footage was mis/handled
Sounds like the FOP should be charged with RICOH statutes, as they are organized and committing crimes, and enabling officers to continue to commit crimes. RICOH has TEETH, use it.
Actually, RICOH makes copiers, RICO has teeth.
How do you explain erasing video from BK? That has been confirmed. If you’re gathering evidence for an “investigation, why do you destroy video evidence?
This does more than create the impression of widespread collusion and corruption, this confirms it. The reason police all over this country have been able to get away with this type of abuse for centuries is that there are those who refuse to accept that cops don’t always do what they’re supposed to do and abuse their power. And there’s a culture of cover up and secrecy. And they wonder where the gang members get their no snitch policy…
Register to vote. Then vote these corrupt officials out of office. Support a reform candidate. This corruption is systemic.
Disturbing on so many levels. It really raises the question if government serves the people anymore. Such a systemic breakdown of due process really suggests that the entire system, cops on the street, their supervisors, DA and even local government conspire to systemically undermines the peoples rights. The sad part is…I am shocked but nor surprised.
Start by charging every SINGLE ONE of the officers present with obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit murder, and proceed up the chain from there. It’s really quite simple for anyone concerned with justice.
I agree. All of the officers on the scene who saw what happened should be charged with a cover up. If they saw a citizen roll up and gun someone down, they would arrest if not kill that individual. They didn’t take action to protect their own.
every person involved in this attemped coverup should be indicted. It is obvious that CPD and the ptosecutors office tried to hide this cold blooded killing by one of their own. Before we solve problems in other countries.how about solving them at home. Get these murderous cops off the force
The Department of Justice needs to establish a database of all police shootings. Full stop. That’s the only way to study patterns of police brutality and weed out police officers inclined to abuse their authority.
I am so sick and tired of the foolishness going on in this country. From corruption on Wall street to Main street, killings, politician running with bigoted agenda and lying with false graphs, to cover ups of murders by “law enforcement,” giving of life sentences by corrupt judges for crimes that don’t warrent life sentencing, to sentencing youth by corrupt judges to fill prisons. America is dying! Yes, the America that was growing, had a surplus with Bill Clinton in office, people were working and the economy was booming. People greeted one another with respect as they passed on the street, now there is only contempt and scowls. No smiles or joy, only anger and frustration. Once again, the protest of the 50’s and 60’s have returned, due to the increase of racism. It truly breaks my heart to see the land that I have grown up in, destroy itself from within. No need for terrorist here. The destruction will come from those born and bred, filled with hate in their hearts and waving an American flag, claiming they want America “pure.” “Pure?” America is a rainbow of cultures, faiths and people. Wow! God help America! Please!
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln
This is a bit too far. You can’t use one incident or even several for that matter to classify the goings on of a country of over 300 million people. ‘America is dying’ is a sensationalist comment serving no other purpose than to be dramatic. America is not dying. I see wonderful acts of kindness everyday in my community and examples of how people of different backrounds are coming together for common good.
With 1100 people being killed by police in 2015 alone, babies being thrown from windows, children being murdered, even dismembered, you must be living in a bubble!
http://www.amazon.com/Too-Politically-Sensitive-Since-Murder/dp/0615281036
Nothing good comes out of Chicago these days. The video is very hard to take. Why can’t the police use mace or tasers or shoot criminals in the leg, if possible?
Police training is they should never fire their gun unless it is to protect their life, another’s life or to prevent serious bodily injury. Once it gets to that point, deadly force is approved.That’s why they don’t shoot to wound. In this case, with no one in danger, no one should have been using a gun. Period.
They are trained to use escalating force as needed, starting with the voice, then working its way up to baton, taser, pepper spray, then, only as a last resort, firearm. Its pretty hard to go through all those steps, when you are finished firing 16 shots 30 seconds after you arrive on the scene.
Theoretically, the policeman thought he was protecting his life from the charging victim armed with a knife. Given the instant reactions necessary, I think it would be good to program in a wounding.
Respectfully, just “Winging” them with a handgun (actually any kind of gun)
isn’t just hard, its virtually impossible. Its the stuff of movies and myths.
Take a penlight or laserpointer, Have a friend stand 15 feet away, facing you.
CAREFULLY, point the light, lets say, at his right thigh, halfway between his knee and hip. Have him slowly pivot to his right (on his right leg) try keeping the light,
on target.
Now have him pivot to the left. (on his left leg) try to stay on your target
(The Middle of the Right thigh)
Your calm, he’s moving Slowly . A little harder than it sounds, Huh ?
Imagine your scared at full speed.
They have very specific guidelines for use of deadly force. If you allow shooting of limbs you are giving a lot of leeway to one cop in how to exercise that force. Then what if a major artery is struct and someone you intended to subdue by “winging” them is bleeding out. Not the desired effect. This is why non-lethal force exists such as tasers or mace.
In this case, lethal force was not authorized. No video evidence presently exists showing McDonald acting in a manner to harm himself or others other than him walking in the middle of the road. If the 86 minutes of Burger King footage that was mysteriously deleted after detectives were allowed access to it showed behavior that warranted the use of deadly force we will never know.
The investigation will hopefully be broadened to include the response of investigating bodies and the department at large for its handling of this shooting. But I doubt it. Which is why civil disobedience is needed in these matters as it is the only why the people can respond to abuses of power at any level of government.
The guidelines on use of deadly force should be modified. For example, a good knife man can beat a pistol at 15 feet or less. Wounding can be dealt with and the victim saved. Not many people can be saved with 15 bullet holes throughout their body. My view on wounding is that it is not deadly force. My view on violent civil disobedience is that it rarely results in positive changes.
Richard, I’ve been a martial artist for 30 years and I agree with you that a good knife man ( I prefer stick weapons) can inflict serious damage even when faced with a weapon from 15 feet. The problem with this case is that the kid was likely not a “good knife man” at 17. Possible but not likely. He never took up an offensive or defensive stance. One hand remained in his pocket, which again does not indicate that he was “ready” for anything. The video clearly shows the sequence of events and the tragic aftermath. On the use of deadly force, I think there should be an independent review of every incident – for the rights of the cop and that of the deceased. I also believe there should be mandatory certification of officers in situational firearms use. Something like th pop-up target courses tha contain civilians and perps. No matter the previous character of the deceased, there have been too many incidents were police have been too quick on the trigger for non threatening situations.
Good thought. I think some instinctive training and adrenolin(sp) kick in for the police and they can react too quickly.
Most human beings aren’t “good knife people”. It is an intimate weapon and a wielder would be hard pressed to relinquish there weapon. A street full of cops would give me pause before I try and beat a gun. Knife to a gun fight and all that.
My original point stands. There is no way you can insure a through and through shot to an arm or leg. There is so much vasculuture. Any GSW to any body part has the inherent risk of death.
My point is that a leg wound is likely to be only a debilitating wound. 16 holes in the torso are 100% certain to be fatal.
One good thing did come out of Chicago with this case. That was the whistle blower who spoke up about the truth of what happened in this case. That person is likely involved in law inforcement or the medical examiners office. That person is a hero in my book. Why? Street gangs aren’t the only ones that follow the code ” snitches get stitches.” Police can be exceedingly fraternal. This brave person is going to have to look over his shoulder for a long time to protect his/her self and family.
I do find it troubling that the police might try and protect this fellow.
Enough with their GOD COMPLEX!! For eons police have gotten away with everything from common everyday harassment to cold blooded murder. I’m sick of the rotten apples (of which there are MANY) –HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE! I’m sorry for the good ones but these days the good ones are FAR AND FEW between. Root out the SCUM, treat people with respect and I guarantee you people will treat them with respect in return. Keep thinking you’re GOD? Keep on the path we’re on? I’m afraid society will devolve to a never ending series of heinous acts, black against white, white against black, police against everyone.
It would help if some of the “good” ones came out and condemned the bad ones. So far, crickets.
Serpico?
There needs to be a federal task force that is charged with investigating, charging and prosecuting all police shootings. The local police force CAN NOT be trusted to do the job. The local prosecutor CAN NOT be trusted to do the job.
This sounds like a “Mickey Spillane movie” where the corruption goes from the top down. The policeman that repeatedly shot Laquan McDonald couldn’t give the least damn about what he had done. He looks like a killer and I guarantee you that he has killed before this incident. He’s a killer. What I can’t understand is how although there was a conspiracy by many to conceal the murder
I think the real crime here is that Rham Emanual and others will walk. Obama will defend him. This was a murder that was covered up by paying the family 5 million to be quiet. The family allowed themselves to take the blood money. They could have sued after the video was forced to be released. Most cops do a good job and when the facts show a bad one they are usually convicted. BTW blocking the freeway is not called for and I for one would just force my way through as I would have the right of way. They should be sitting in the mayors office not the streets.
Do not drag the president into this vile”
Why not? This was his constituency when he was a senator.
Blocking the freeway is a sign of protest. You would absolutely not have a right to plow through the crowd. That would be considered murder if you did that and killed someone.
No…Obama will NOT defend him. Nice try.
Compare to the pay-off in Baltimore, which has compromised the police officers before they even got to court. Common factor? Democrats run both cities.
And don’t worry about the family. Once they have ploughed through the $5M, they likely will be back for a second helping.
In October 2014, Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police, said “officers were forced to defend themselves” and shoot mcDonald. What is he saying now?
(check: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-shootings-violence-20141021-story.html)
If we can get past the mindset that “its OK if a Cop does it” perhaps a few more folks will stay alive. All that crap above is aiding and abetting after the fact if you do it and so it should be if a Cop does it. Deleting video is evidence tampering and obstruction of justice if you do it and so it should be if a Cop does it.
We have to get past all this or Cops will be free to kill with impunity.
” Mayor Rahm Emanuel is now trying to frame the issue as the action of one bad officer, as the Tribune reports. āOne individual needs to be held accountable,ā he said Monday.” Uh, no….. He alone did not delete security footage, lead to a $5 million settlement, hiding of the video, etc. More need to be fired, charged with accessory to murder.
Don’t forget obstruction of justice charges as well.
Chicago has been under the control of the Democratic party for eons. How’s that hope and change working out now? Time to throw out the Democrats and vote in a Republican, it certainly couldn’t be worse than the corruption that has metastasized throughout Chicago politics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a Republican vs. Democrat thing. Cops kill innocent people (or at least people who did not deserve to die) in Republican-controlled areas too. This is a problem with police, perhaps with government in general.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. The big scandal arising from this murder is the cover-up and why. This is corruption, plain and simple, coming from the Democrats that rule Chicago.
I didn’t say it’s not corruption, and I’m not in denial about the problem of police violence. I just don’t have your partisan agenda. This isn’t about Republicans and Democrats.
Yes, it’s corruption, plain and simple. AND it cuts across party lines. It’s an US vs. THEM mentality that is not limited to Democrats. It occurs in law enforcement everywhere.
Most of the shootings around the country by police are a direct result
Of the war on drugs, black males are incarcerated at 7 times the rate as white males
Your right, It’s a systemic factor of the war on drugs.
Police officers tend to be conservative and vote Republicans. Things would probably have been worse under a Republican administration.
In Chicago, the Irish and Black cops are union goons who vote for those who will take your money and funnel it into their pockets, i.e., they vote Democrat. Not that it matters though, because even if most Chicago police did vote Republican, their votes would probably wind up going to the Democrats anyway.
http://lastresistance.com/8016/voting-machine-chicago-hardwired-vote-democrat/
Then why is this not happening more in places that are under Republican administrations?
I can’t think of a story off the top of my head where this has happened in a town dominated by Republicans. Can you think more than one third the number of times this has happened where the Democrats are in charge?
You already posted that bull and it still stinks as much as the first time you posted it.
mark, stop trying to place blame and instead help come up with a solution.
This is a systematic problem that has plagued this nation from its inception and has nothing to do with political parties. In fact, things would be much worse under a Republican government. Despite their never ending criticism of the federal government, they somehow seem to have developed an aversion to criticizing local governments- especially police officers. They would justify these actions to the bitter end. And you know it.
Then why is this mostly happening in towns dominated by Democratic politicans?
I can’t think of a story off the top of my head where this has happened in a town dominated by Republicans. Can you?
Are you really that monumentally ignorant to say these things are not happening under a Republican government? The reason you can’t think of a story “off of the top of your head” is because their are no brains underneath it.
Here are two Mark – (1) Indianapolis has a Republican mayor. Police officers there killed Andre Green and claimed “self defense”. (2) Miami has a Republican mayor. The justice Department investigated the Miami police and a few years ago and found that they “engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive use of force through officer-involved shootings in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.” Most states in the South have Republican governors. And yes there is police corruption and violence in the South…It’s not the parties, it’s the system. The Democrats and Republicans uphold the same corrupt system.
I think you meant that Democrats or Republicans should uphold the same NON-corrupt system. I get your point though. Blaming one party or another is just political masturbation and falls short of solving the problem.
One of the first reasons that this does not happen as frequently in places dominated by Republicans is that generally blacks vote for Democrats. Moreover, Democrats are concentrated in the cities where police forces are seen most frequently. Just because a Republican, however, is not leading a specific face does not mean that they do not influence it. Republicans, as a whole, are the ones who encourage the War in Iraq, the War in Afghanistan, and these wars have had a major impact on the training our police officers get and the violence seen in the world. Beyond this, a way racism has been perpetuated by the police force is the Stop-and-Frisk that began in New York under a police comissioner that was appointed by a Republican, Giuliani. It is not about someones political party because there will be Republicans and Democrats on the wrong side (and hopefully the right side) of this issue. It is about the ISSUE and how they address that, not which party they align with during an election.
Hey Nutty Bernstein….what the eff does Afghanistan have to do with Chicago?
does Chicago have alot of Afghan rebels running around??
I would call you ignorant but that would be giving you too much credit
I believe Natty is using the examples of the wars in Afghanistan – and particularly Iraq, ( my two cents) as examples of the egregious corruption of Republicans in exploiting a national tragedy to push America into two expensive deficit busting wars. So,it appears neither party has a monopoly on high morals…or corruption. The Chicago PD won’t get fixed by getting in another political party. It will take a leader that knows law enforcement, not politics. Of course, we could go on and continue taking the “blue pill”, but we’ll be stuck in that illusory view voting in a Dem or a Rep is the answer.
Chicago has been under complete Democratic control for many, many, decades (century+?). No republicans involved in this Democratic Utopia.
You have a short memory. Bush 43’s administration was one the most corrupt administrations in US history.
Hey Mark. Remember that little problem in Jefferson City, Mo.? Remember the black guy who was gunned down in cold blood? That was done when there was a Republican Mayor, and all of the state representatives that came from Jefferson City were Republicans. And the corruption within the Jefferson City police department was so suspect that the state police had to be called in to restore as sense of order. Look it up.
re: “t. Despite their never ending criticism of the federal government, they somehow seem to have developed an aversion to criticizing local governments”
Absurd! You never heard a Republican criticize Ram Emmanuel? You never heard a Republican criticize Mariom Barry? You never heard a Republican criticize Bill de Blasio?
Now, I know you are either making stuff up or you suffer from extreme confirmation bias – a.k.a selective memory.
I’m referring to state and local police, who are government workers- not Politicians. Try to keep up.
REALLY? then why are the most violent cities in America run by the democratic politicians which have instituted the most stringent gun laws??
how are those gun laws working in Chicago and Detroit?
Yes, really. Chicago’s gun laws were gutted by the right wing supreme Court a couple of years ago, genius.
Carol Kirschbaum’s point is the only one that is empirical. The rest of you are talking out of your . . . . !
Yes it could. Yes it could.
This is NOT about a political party. This is about a system problem that has been notorious in Chicago for decades. DECADES! Sadly this type of thing happens and it doesn’t matter what political party the city government falls under.
and why Ylanda have you and other upstanding citizens of Chicago not fixed the system problem?
oh that’s right…you keep voting in the people mainly responsible for these problems because they keep giving you free stuff and blaming the republicans or conservatives for the problems.
it most certainly IS about a political party.
Carol, Carol, Carol. This is a Democrat problem? Really? The only thing that has matastasized is the blindness to the lie that one party is more or less guilty of corruption than the other . In fact, time and again when one party gets on its high horse to accuse the other of corruption, it’s a case of “he who smelled it dealt it!” No it’s about the dark side of the thin blue line that is supposed to serve and protect. There are many good cops, but sadly the are subject to a culture of silence in the face of police wrong doing. Sometimes it tacit department corruption. Other times it’s fear of fellow officers, especially troubling since your life may depend on back-up of another cop. Ironically, some police departments have a street gang mentality. That is “snitches get stitches.” That’s not political. That’s sick.
And you think that the Republican Party in Chicago is one iota less corrupt? Oh, my, child. Can you count the fingers on your hands?
WHAT Republican party in Chicago – THERE IS NONE.
The cold blooded murder of this young man is reprehensible on so many levels and demands justice on every level. First why did Alverez take so long to indict, her response is lacking credibility or honesty, and was it more to guarantee the Mayor’s re-election, knowing well the repercussions resulting to the release of the video would work against the Mayor? Second, why are the officers who participated in the falsification of reports not indicted for obstruction of justice, let alone violations of police procedure? Finally, who are the officers who went to the Burger King and deleted the video footage and why are they not indicted for the criminal act of evidence tampering and obstruction of justice? The stench and rot emanating from the collusion in the DA’s office are overwhelming. In their open connection with the CPD, the DA’s office is not benefiting the public trust, but it is a failure and sets in place distrust and corruption on all levels from the Mayor’s office down.Ā« less
I remember all the cop apologists saying, “If a man lunges at a cop while holding a knife, he is going to be shot”. Self defense and fearing for your life is an acceptable reason to shoot someone in my opinion. However, merely claiming an act was performed under those circumstances is not acceptable if it is a lie.
Every time we hear of another cop murdering someone, we hear about the cop being accused numerous times of excessive force or civil rights violations, EVERY TIME. We also hear the the cop was deemed to be justified in his actions EVERY TIME. Now, if a suspect that has just been killed by a cop has even the slightest encounter with a police officer, we hear about it. We get to hear about how the police knew the deceased person and knew he was a troublemaker. We hear about the deceased being arrested numerous time, but quite often they are nothing but arrests. They are not convictions, but they are portrayed as though they are.
It’s called blame the victim. Often this tactic is used to suggest that because the deceased had a past, that was justification for the police shooting them in a completely unrelated encounter. We should all be so perfect, right!
If you feel compelled to wonder why the FBI hasn’t jumped in, you might want to think again. The FBI has the same kind of record with its internal investigations. Nearly ALL investigations into FBI wrongdoing are whitewashed.
I refuse to believe that a Glock 22 in the hands of a professional police officer VS. a small knife in the hands of a kid = “I feared for my life.” This excuse to kill a citizen should never be acceptable in any moral, rational universe.
I guess you haven’t seen the video out of Brazil, where the guy with a knife attacks SEVERAL armed officers, killing one and severely injuring a couple others before they are finally able to stop him?
Was the guy in Brazil walking away from the cops while engaging in all that carnage?
Christofloridian – my thought exactly!
I have seen the video, both actually, and you comparing the two as though they were even remotely equal in scope is ludicrous.
The only thing that’s ludicrous is your reading comprehension. My comment had nothing to do with this particular case. My comment was in regards to the OP’s first sentence.
No, we didn’t see that obscure incident with no relationship to this video. The boy here in Chicago was walking away and there was no imminent action that suddenly required 16 rounds to fly off. The cop must have been passed that the call interrupted his lunch.
Not to mention the fact that there were at least 8 officers, all with guns, on the scene at that point! And yet this ‘cop’ feared for his life to such an extent that he unloaded 16 rounds into a 17 year old while he was walking away. I’m just lucky I didn’t run into this guy when I was 17 or I’d probably be dead too.
Watch any episode of ‘Cops’. . .suspect on ground, hands visible and outstretched, cop beating the bejesus out of him while shouting “stop resisting, stop resisting”. Any doubt about how police training goes as far as legalities are concerned? Or how it feeds law enforcement officer’s attitudes?
Sixteen rounds? Sixteen? That is just blood lust, not defense.
Perhaps any settlements should come from the police departments budget, with that budget loss passed on to all the staff of the department. That is what happens when a corporation employee screws up and every employee and stockholder pays a price.
These stories make America look like a Banana Republic. I was born in the Third World, where stories like this are commonplace. But for this level of corruption and illegality to be blatantly perpetuated indicates there is an exaggeration of the differences between the developing and advanced societies. These stories clearly show that America has a deep and disturbing problem with the policing system.
Why is the officer the only one being charged? Is there no other culpability in this matter besides that of the officer? I think there is and I think that all the others will get away scot free because the district attorney is unlikely to charge the others with obstruction of justice.
It seems stuff like this is becoming a pattern with police across the country! No wonder the general public do not trust the police. I for one will go out of my way from being around any police. Police are armed THUGS !! All involved in this need to be charged with conspiracy! The feds need to be brought in to investigate.
It’s not so much becoming a pattern as it has been the way police business is conducted as usual–only now we’re all getting to see it.
Even as a white, middle-aged male — arguably the least oppressed demographic there is — I have long ago stopped believing in the police as a beneficent group. I overheard a conversation between two cops that brought me chills and made me realize that while I might likely ever be the direct recipient of an injustice of the sort in this article or even something that didn’t take my life, if I in fact were, that the cops simply would not tell the truth. I do believe that all cops are trained to lie if one of of their own commits any crime. Since traffic cops now essentially entrap people for simple speeding by pulling them over in unmarked cars, it is clear that cops are not community policers, available in identifiable cars to speak with —- they are just paid thugs, armed enforcers of a state that becomes increasingly corrupt with each day. I once used to say hi to cops on the street or salute them at a four -corner stop and wave them through ahead of me even though I had the right of way. Not anymore. Just another govt group to be especially wary of.
My uncle and brother were both cops who served honorably. However, as black Americans, they were wary of fellow officers, especially in off duty or plain clothes settings. Too many officers, especially in urban areas, practice “demographic policing.” It’s a shame. It creates unnecessary mistrust between the officers and the communities that they are supposed to protect. Alas, not everyone has the disposition to wear a badge.
Even all this information posted by the Chicago Reporter is incomplete. Because another disturbing fact about the Chicago Police Department, in regards to the murder of #LaquanMcDonald, is that they erased about 86 minutes’ worth of footage about the incident: https://www.facebook.com/shaunking/videos/950718308300421/
They did mention the Burger King footage, with a link.
Yes it does say that, and very clearly.
This incident shatters the idea that the majority of cops are good. There were 8 cops on the scene and not one of them thought this was bad. 100% of these cops, through their silence, agreed with what took place. Additional cops sought out and hid video from the nearby Burger KIng. The States Attorney suppressed the evidence. She hoped this would go away. The whole system is corrupt and when this country is compared to China and Russia as well as third world dictatorships, I wonder where the difference is.
It is possible that one of them thought this bad. There is one brave person on the inside that blew the whistle on these crimes.
What is at least as troubling as what this says about the cops, though, is that this coverup would have succeeded if this one honorable person had not done the right thing. A lot of heads better roll over this one.
This was not a cop that came foward. It was a city employee in some other capacity than the police. The police probably never saw the video. The cops are a blue gang that doesn’t “snitch” on their other gang members. They must get fired and fired and replaced until they get the message that their job is to serve (assist) and protect. Not to intimidate and brutalize.
Let’s remember folks, this is CHICAGO. Of course the system is corrupt – its CHICAGO. Let’s not extrapolate to the entire US because of something we have known for decades but conveniently ignored – CHICAGO is totally corrupt, through and through. And what corrupt organization runs CHICAGO? Why the same one that plucked a slick-talking community organizer from CHICAGO and made him the “chosen one”. How’s that working out, anyway?
If you’ve been watching the news during the past couple of years, you would know that this is bigger than just CHICAGO. Ferguson, Baltimore, New York, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Kansas City, etc., etc.
If you have any knowledge of statistics you might realize that no, this is not bigger than just CHICAGO.
Police shootings: “965 killed as of 6 November 2015, with rates per million of 2.24 for “white” people, 5.55 for “black”, and 2.66 for “hispanic/latino”.”
The big question is, why are there so few blacks being shot in comparison to whites since its a well-established fact that blacks are more than 6 times more likely to commit violent crimes.
The real question might be “why are cops holding back in doing their jobs where there is a black perpetrator involved”
But you’re unlikely to see that narrative anytime soon.
We have more people in jail and do less for the poor. Third world all the way
One other issue to be considered is this: The reports that the police officers on the scene put in can be considered perjured statements because of the indications of McDonald lunging at the officers was not true. Remember, the officers are sworn members of the Court and as such any and all statements that are issued must be considered truth!!
Do you know anything about the branches of the government, Police are part of the executive branch, The judicial branch puts checks and balances against police misconduct, example fruit from he poisonous tree. the fact that he did not drop the knife creates a very bad situation, and a knife wielding individual can deliver life threatening injuries within seconds from quite a few feet (30-40 feet). He should have dropped the knife.
They were still wrong to shoot him…
were you there, unless you were STFU.
I know a lot about checks and balances and the government. I also understand criminal law and criminal procedure. Policemen are sworn officers of the law. They are and always will be Officers of the Court and as such are held to a higher standard when completing reports of crimes. I wasn’t there but the video as well as the reports of the officers were put out for the public. The issue of him having a knife was irrelevant because his actions were not a threat to any of the officers. In fact, he was walking away from them when he was shot. So, any report that he lunged at them when the video clearly shows no such action is and should be considered perjured statement by a duly sworn police officer.
Police reports are held to a higher standard. They testify normally in a court of law. And, normally their testimony is held to a higher standard with the judge putting more weight on their testimony. But, once an officer perjures himself in a court of law he loses all credibility with that Judge. A police report is not a sworn statement. Perjury is lying in a court of law. These officer have not perjured themselves yet. That is for the lawyers and the judges to determine the facts and whether the officers have perjured themselves. Sounds like you need some more education on criminal law and criminal procedure. Typical Facebook Attorney.
You are a racist period. You convolute the truth. You know who should have had deadly force used againstThose welfare cheat ranchers who chased government officers off of our public lands then went about intimidating citizens.
Can cops just gun down all these open carry nuts. They carry around assault rifles. Now there is a threat. Not one killed. All right wing white guys.
Uh huh…
FYI, Harry Reid and his cronies have been gobbling up those lands and making themselves untold millions by leasing them out to foreign companies that reciprocate by filling their pockets with cash and hiring their family members at exorbitant salaries, while all of the the ranchers except for Bundy have given up after being illegally kicked off of their lands using the dirtiest of tricks, all of which when exposed are chalked up to have being done,”for the greater good,” which is fine with people who have never done a bit of useful work in their lives.
You’re just mad because in the Bundy case, the people reminded the government that the government works for the people, and not the other way around. If you had a brain in your head, you’d see this as a positive thing, since it allows the possibility that you too may actually regain control over those who have sworn to serve you, but instead, you’re like a little kid who’d rather steal a single piece of candy from a schoolmate, than figure out how to get a bag of your own.
He was walking away. Your statement is true, and the cops would be justified, if he was walking toward them with a knife or in fact lunged at them. There’s a reason they fabricated the story. The problem is that the dash cam video doesn’t support their claim.
Let’s discuss this case and not something hypothetical.
This case is more about the the person being shot. He was carrying a deadly weapon. He did not drop the deadly weapon. That is enough to justify deadly force. The issues with this case go beyond the shooting. Why did it take so long for the shoot to be reviewed. Why did this officer get 18 complaints but yet there were not any resolution for the complaints, founded or unfounded. You have the other officers that were witnesses. Many officers will be losing there jobs and there should be criminal charges that follow those officers too. Lawyers are going to have a field day questioning them in a court of law and the cross examining will also be fun to watch. Once they have perjured themselves and put their integrity into question no judge will ever take their testimony in a court of law. But, I think any lawyer can create reasonable doubt in this case.
You’re wrong. Carrying and/or possessing a deadly weapon is not justification for the use of deadly force. One must take a threatening posture in order to be met with a lethal response.
It’s all in the article. It actually didn’t take long for the tape to be reviewed because the city was willing to pay the family $5mil to NOT ever have to see the tape again. I’m surprised the footage still exists. Why didn’t the department just burn it? I mean if you’re going to tamper with evidence, then tamper with it until there’s no evidence.
You are evil
Do facts hurt your head too much?
Why wasn’t the white racist who had a standoff with police not shot dead. One of the four that wounded 5 people by shooting into a crowd.oh he was white. Armed standings happen all the time with police. They are only shot dead if they are black
If you’re a law abiding citizen, you have nothing to worry about with the police. Now, if you’re a black male, failing to stop, holding a knife, then don’t be surprised when you’re shot dead.
“If you’re a law abiding citizen, you have nothing to worry about with the police.”
What a load of crap. Why don’t you come on out of that cave you’ve clearly been living in. Unbelievably disingenuous comment.
Those guilty of minor infractions should get tickets not Shot in the streets as if their lives didn’t matter.
There is police procedure. That was not followed. There was due process. That right was taken away with the first trigger pull. A 3″ knife is not illegal. Walking in a direction away from the police, walking…nor running, is no threat to anyone. Shooting someone when there is NO threat is a crime. Emptying a clip into someone without justification who is down IS excessive and IS murder. Filing a false police report in a police shooting IS criminal. Deleting local security video that contradicts the police account AND shows a bad shoot, shows corruption. Offering a grieving family $5 M in compensation on the condition they keep quiet about the actual video they saw IS an admission that the officer is as guilty as the city administration that is covering up this extra-judicial execution. The premise “if your a black male” appears to imply that this shooting would not likely have happened to a white male. This crime demonstrates the instutionalized corruption that coats in some police departments around the country. We could argue the racial component here until we’re blue in the face. The fact is putting on the badge does not make you above the law.
You are sick. Also hundreds of cops have pulled over women and raped them still kept their jobs. I would be terrified to have a cop pull me over on a dark night.
You mean the ones that were admittedly attacked by the supposed “peaceful” protesters? Look for those videos to be scrubbed from view soon.
What about those four white racists who shot into a crowd and wounded 5 people. One of then had an armed standoff with a swat team. Funny he wasn’t shot dead.
Officers guns should be taken away! Cowards that’s what I would call them!
So many cop around they could have try to tackle him or something else.
Rahm Emanuel needs to be fired as well! He’s not a people’s mayor. Why did the city wait 400 days to charge the officer??
Fired? He should be charged as an accessory to murder after the fact.
āThere are an average of 50 police shootings of civilians every year in Chicago, and no one is ever charged,ā
Jan 1, 2015 to Nov 25, 2015–2,712 shootings in Chicago…how many shooters were charged?
A lot more than zero.
One citizen shooting another is one thing but someone being shot under the color of law is quite another.
I’m not sure why that is so difficult for people to understand.
It’s not so difficult for people to understand as it is easy to deny. They want the police to kill.
are they any less dead?
No but honest citizens more and more distrust the police willingness to serve and protect when they need them.
Huh??
No, but my tax dollars didn’t pay the salary of both killers.
And your point is??
So, cops should aspire to be as lawless and tight lipped as the ignorant, uneducated gang bangers?
Cops are required to have a college degree. How many shooters also had such an education?
I hold those we pay to serve and protect to a higher standard. Sorry.
Chicago police officers are not required to have college degrees:
“At the very least, applicants must have one of the following: 60 semester hours of college credit, four years of continuous active duty in the United State military, or one year of continuous active duty in the United States armed forces combined with 30 semester hours of college credit.”
My old roommate was a cop and was required to have a degree. He didn’t have military experience, so perhaps there is an equivalent granted for service. Still, the point is that cops shouldn’t act like thugs.
Maybe he just told you that he was required to have a degree, or maybe he lied to you and told you that he had a degree when he didn’t. You don’t seem too bright, you’re not keen on verifying factual information, and you lack an attention to detail, so please forgive me if I take your assertions with a pound of salt.
Lots of our cops are now troops who came back from overseas where they killed citizens with little compunction.
It is the militarization of our police force. Gee, I thought everyone in the military was a saint. Of course, statistics would tell us otherwise.
Even the military’s rules of engagement do not allow them to act in the way that far too many domestic police are now acting. Yes, it’s true that members of the military get away with a lot due to the, “fog of war,” however, when it comes to situations where we have video of police shooting unarmed, non-aggressive victims and getting off scot free, most equivalent videoed incidents involving U.S. soldiers wind up putting those soldiers in jail.
All who tried to cover up the evidence are complicit in this murder and need to be held accountable.
Police Terrorism Stress Disorder is very real. It is traumatizing
to continuously see videos showing cops murdering people who look like me
because they know they can get away with it. This article is bogus. The only
difference as to why this cop was charged was because the video was released.
Notice, I did not say it was because it was on video. This murder occurred in
October 2014, yet it took a judge finally deciding to release a graphic video
to the public in order for charges to be brought. They have had this video surveillance
for 400 days, what suddenly change?! For those who say Michael Brown deserved
it, and the cop was defending himself, please understand that cop Wilson and cop
Vandykeās account of their incidences sound eerily similar, however the huge
difference is that Michael Brownās murder was not captured on video. The police
are thee most violent gang in modern history. Badge = liscence to kill. Modern
day lynchers.
Sorry Sam, the Obama administration investigated the Brown situation pretty damn thoroughly and if they had the slightest chance of smearing Wilson they would have taken it. The fact that you are invoking this incident shows you either have not looked at it very hard to determine the facts, or that your bias is affecting your judgement.
You seem to believe that you are privy to the machinations behind the political and societal consequences that a regime takes into consideration when it chooses to take advantage of a given situation. You also seem to believe that the people who tell Barry what to do had more of an interest in demonizing a white police officer than in clamping a lid over a boiling-over pot of angry black Americans.
Both of these notions are dangerously naive.
Mike Brown was a violent thug who probably would have wound up killing someone, so I’m not going to lose any sleep over him, however, for anyone with a brain of his own, it was pretty clear that he had been shot from behind.
The sad thing is that because most people aren’t very bright, they continued to allow the media to frame the incident as hinging upon whether or not the ballistics supported the claim of him being shot while facing Wilson with his arms in the air, or of him being shot as he charged Wilson. If you’ll remember, those were the two choices that were proffered ad nauseam,
Bottom line? The media told you that if he’s had his arms in the air, that there would have been entry wounds on the insides of his surrendering, outstretched, outward-rotated arms instead of entry woulds on the backs of his arms, and almost everyone bought this, without ever stopping to realize that wounds to the back of his arms meant one thing only… that bullets somehow entered the backs of his arms, and that the only way that this could have happened, is if he had been shot while facing away from Wilson.
Ah, it’s good to have things cleared up by those in the know. But you forgot to name the puppeteers controlling Barry.
And you forgot to tell us how exactly you know all this. Us mere mortals (you know, the not very bright people) depend on mere Justice Dept. reports.
http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/doj_report_on_shooting_of_michael_brown_1.pdf
It must be awesome not to live a “dangerously naive” life and to be so superior to others. Of course, it may just mean you’re off your meds.
I don’t haven’t any need for meds.
You, on the other hand, might want to pop a couple of your SSRI’s before you take the time to actually read the report, paying special attention to the fact that 9 out of 15 witnesses whose claims do not fit the authorities’ pre-determined, “facts,” concerning the events surrounding Brown’s death have no criminal record, while 3 out of the 7 witnesses whose stories bolster the police account of what happened do have arrest records.
Eyewitness accounts are always suspect. The autopsy conclusively and utterly destroys your little conspiracy theory.
The eyewitness accounts of convicted criminals are the most suspect of all. As for the autopsy results, the following excerpts are (1) from the DOD’s AUTOPSY REPORT FOR MICHAEL BROWN, and (2) from the DOJ’s DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REPORT REGARDING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE SHOOTING DEATH OF MICHAEL BROWN BY FERGUSON, MISSOURI POLICE OFFICER DARREN WILSON.
(1) “On the anterior surface of the upper right arm, centered l7-inches below the top of the head, 12-inches right of the anterior midline of the torso, and 27 l/z-inches above the tip of the right index finnger, is a 1/4-inch entrance gunshot wound. Minimal abrasion is present along the margin of the perforation. No soot, stippling, or unburned gunpowder particles are visible on the skin surrounding the entrance wound. On the posterior surface of the upper right arm, centered l4-inches below the top of the head and lZ-inches right of the posterior midline of the torso, is a l/8-inch exit gunshot wound.The bullet injures skin and so? tissue. No bullet or bullet fragments are recovered. The trajectory of the bullet is backward, upward, and to the left.”
(2) “With the exception of the two wounds to Brownās right arm, which indicate neither bullet trajectory nor the direction in which Brown was moving when he was struck, the medical examinersā reports are in agreement that the entry wounds from the latter gunshots were to the front of Brownās body, establishing that Brown was facing Wilson when these shots were fired. This includes the fatal shot to the top of Brownās head.”
In other words, the leaked autopsy report skirted the issue of the wound to the right arm, because both the ballistics and common sense dictates that this wound was sustained while Brown was running from Wilson.
Use your head. If one was injured, and yet had escaped from a potentially-deadly confrontation and was being permitted to escape unmolested, why would one do anything other than to keep on running, absent some intervening circumstances? Specifically, If the DOD’s claim that Brown sustained the gunshot wound to his hand while tussling with Wilson, and Brown then ran from Wilson’s vehicle, as is supported by all accounts, why would Brown gain a considerable distance from Wilson, only to stop, turn around, and confront an armed man who has already fired upon him?
The answer is that Brown realized that Wilson continued to fire his weapon even as Brown attempted to flee, and that once Brown had been hit by at least one of these shots from behind, he realized that Wilson was willing to shoot him in the back in order to stop him from getting away. At that point, scumbag thug or not, one either keeps running or surrenders, but if one turns, surrenders, and continues to be fired upon, who can blame him for going on the offense in an attempt to overcome an imminent threat to his life?
I’m sure there are many good, honest policemen in Chicago trying hard to make the city safe and serve the public. But this code of silence thing whenever one of their own commits a crime reminds me of the mafia. It is corruption out of control.
Are their any good, honest police officers ANYWHERE in the United States? I’m beginning to wonder.
I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt, for sure. And trying not to paint them all with a broad brush. The problem is certainly much deeper rooted and ubiquitous than most people realize. But that is changing.
The good ones should speak out against the corrupt ones. Otherwise, they’re almost as guilty. They’re sworn to uphold the law, not only as it relates to non cops. The environment that they’re allowing to perpetuate puts all of them at risk.
Time for some heads to roll in Chicago…
Don’t hold your breath
The justice department needs to go in and clean house, the fish starts stinking from the head. The mayor should be recalled, his city paid 5 million to the family but he said he never saw the tape if that is true that’s gross misconduct. not that anyone believe he did not see that tape. that young man civil rights was violated and charges should be filed.
Remember who the Major worked for?
He doesn’t work for him anymore.
I think that you have their relationship backwards.
The entire city of Chicago is run by Democrats.
And, whats your point? That cop still murdered that young man
Somehow, for some reason, I feel like that cop *probably* doesn’t vote liberal. Just a guess.
You’re the only one who cares
Police Departments nationwide are no different. It has nothing to do with “democrats” Nice try princess!
Your 100% right in major urban cities they are all the same, have the same abuses, same % of police violence. This is a systemic factor of the war on drugs. It’s a problem the democrats and republicans continue to ignore, they use the effects for political gain.
It has everything to do with Dems. I’m a liberal but these new Dems have been operating in this manner since Clinton in the 90s. Rahm is now the prototype of the party. Corrupt and devious and would be right wing if not for the D after his name. They just sell liberalism to get elected but act just like corrupt right wing zealots when in office. They hate liberals and liberalism, the idea is only a tactic to them. Their supporters feel the same way, no true philosophy, they only want to beat Republicans.
Republicans wear evil on their sleeves. Only stupid people buy what they sell but Dems are smarmy. They smile in your face, while they destroy lives. The party is a sick embarrassment now, a shell of itself, which died with Carter.
The Democratic party is a phony option, they only embrace liberal ideas when there is nothing left to do.
If it had been a Republican run city all you would be hearing about is racism, the Klan, white supremacy, blah, blah, blah. Why is the Justice system not there? Where is Sharpton? Jackson? Oh, that’s right Chicago is run my Obama’s boy….Rahm
Those at the top are appointed – by their Democratic masters, at least in Chicago.
And?
Most cops are right wingers.
The entire city of Chicago is run by Democrats & the entire state of Kansas is run by Conservative Republicans, which state is collapsing? why its Kansas
Rahm proves Democrats are just as corrupt. These new Dems are even more dangerous because they smile in your face while they screw you. At least the GOP screws you as they walk in the door, you know what to expect.
None of these parties have been good for minorities. Hillary has the same mentality and operating agenda as Rahm. They are sick people who can only operate in a corrupt manner, with a smile.
People should be able to see through their phony facade but I’m amazed every cycle. Everyone ignores their understanding, allowing these phonies to dupe them.
I say, lie to me. No way I will support someone who admits to not having my back. At least the guy who says he does just might in the end.
That’s brilliant.
FYI, you can negotiate with an honest person whose interests are contrary to your own, but if you are dumb enough to believe someone who lies about being on your side, you will never get a fair shake.
There’s dishonesty and a lack of follow through on bother sides of the political spectrum. The GOP is just as guilty at tough talk and no action once elected as the Democrats. Based on that, I chose the politician whose views align with mine over the one whose views are opposed to mine. Then we all hope the elected officials will do what they promised. But no thank you to coming the one with an opposing viewpoint. That simply makes no sense.
So you’d rather trust someone who tells you what you want to hear, despite the fact that he is lying to you, then to engage a person who might meet you somewhere in the middle, assuring that you both get something out of the bargain, rather than waiting for a gift to fall from the sky?
I’m not sure if that’s the word-for-word, clinical diagnosis for, “delusion,” but I’m pretty sure that it’s as close as it gets.
No one is saying support the bomb thrower but a lie is worse because it’s stealthy. When you know the bomb is coming, you take evasive action. When you don’t know, that’s when the most damage can be done.
This case is a great example. The officer had over a year to manipulate/destroy evidence, create a narrative for the media to help his case, tamper with witnesses, who will not be as reliable since the video is out, etc.. They basically had a year to form a strategy and buy people off.
You are an example of why things never change, we love the lie especially if we hate the other side. How about this; support people who are actually sincere civil servants. The Democratic party is full of them but many constantly pick the most corrupt, then, feign surprise when things go south. The fact that you just admitted Rahm can’t be trusted proves you love waking up in the morning with a nice clean butcher knife in the back from a so called friend, which usually hurts more.
I never Respond Never but this time i had to, you are soooooo Right
Hillary was against her husband’s and GOP hideous welfare reform. Many considered Bill Clinton our first black Predsident which is really why the GOP hated him so much
Look, the Rahm wing of the Democratic party are some of the smartest technocrats around, that group includes Hillary. But, they have no allegiance to Democrats per say. Although Hillary may have been for those things you listed, I suspect they were political calculations more than an operating agenda. Only on health do I believe her; she’s been at the forefront of that battle for decades.
I don’t hate their intellect, I just think they’re dangerous because of it. I like Bill and all the new Dems but I’m not comfortable with their motives. I wish there were more politically savvy liberals like them. The Occupy types ignore strategy, thinking, their righteous cause is all that’s needed.
Did you see how IL has the lowest bond rating and if it could it would go bankrupt? Chicago, and IL, are one of the only midwest states losing tax dollars. While we may have people coming in to offset those that leave, the average incomes / wealth of those leaving is much greater than those coming in.
Nice try… the media will probably get a pretty good race riot out of this when it blows up in their faces.
This officer will be acquitted if there is any justice left in Chicago.
Lets look at the facts, not the hype… A suspect known to be on drugs and caught committing a burglary, running down the middle of the street waving a knife? Never mind the fact that he’d already attacked one officer and slashed the tires on his patrol car.
This nutcase is well within striking distance (roughly 21 feet) when the officer opens fire.
As for the number f rounds.. so what? In most shootings the officer if in the middle of a ‘fight or flight’ reaction. They almost always empty their magazines.
There is also a 1-2 second delay between the eye’s seeing the suspect hit the ground and the brain being able to get the trigger finger to stop squeezing.
In short, so long as the suspect really did have a deadly weapon on them, the officer was completely justified in this case.
Liberalism is a disease of the mind that weakens and corrupts human beings.
you are an absolute fool
This is a quote from Hitler. I think it is entirely appropriate in this context. (Poe’s law schmoe’s law)
You’re still a fool
š And you’re an idiot, Six.
No just tired of posers with their cute non relevant quotes
So sorry to tire you. Maybe it’s time for a nap? The quote was completely relevant. Now that I’ve explained it to you that should be obvious.
thanks mr tea bagger for quoting your idol Adolph !
Hitler, another right wing fascist.
It founded this country. The Conservatives were Tories.
Go back under your rock.
That’s why it was liberals that formed our country and wrote our constitution. Certainly wasn’t built on right wing hatred and ideology.
The current, common definition of, “liberal,” bears scant relation to its definition at the time of this country’s founding.
Read a book.
Liberals of that time were more libertarian than the “progressive” liberals of today. At that time they still had a concept of personal responsibility.
The police have no business executing people. Their job is to apprehend suspects for trial.
The way you just ignore what you see on that video in deference to authority is sick.
Another cop sucker heard from
21 feet. What type of idiot are you
It’s called the 21 foot rule, it is a real thing, it’s the amount of distance an average person can cover in the time it takes an officer to draw their weapon and fire a round. I’m not saying it applies in this case because I don’t know all the details. I am just saying it’s an actual thing that is taught in academies and used in court.
Personally if a person has a knife and is trying to kill me I would shoot them. knife wounds are commonly fatal.
Though to me it looks like the kid is running away from the cops in the video, not toward them. they could have easily had 2 or 3 officers on firearms and 1 or 2 on less lethal, either taser or shotgun with bean bag round stopped him with out having to kill him, but having that option available if the knife becomes a threat..
You are just a mouth piece for all the racists who think just like you and convolute the truth to blame victims for the crimes of their abusers.
LOL, did you even read my comment? or do you just go around throwing wild accusations at everyone on the internet?
I am on the side of the victim, not the officer.
I find uneducated and unfeeling people like you truly terrifying. I truly hope you are not a parent as I imagine you wear a kkk hood with pride. Only a racist could distort the reality of the execution the way you did.
First, he had no drugs in his system – that was BS the police put out there. Second, the cops not only (illegally) deleted surveillance video from a local Burger King – but the dashcam video and audio from 3 of the 5 cruisers ont he scene magically disappeared – without explanation. The two dashcam videos that were not erased did not have audio – again, no explanation. There were no problems reported with the equipment prior to the execution. However, it’s painfully obvious the police did not want the audio evidence of their conversations about covering up the murder out there. Innocent people do not destroy evidence.
This kid never attacked and/or lunged at the cop – the video is proof of that. Everyone who covered this up should go to jail.
You are a COMPLETE FOOL for writing such crap! NO ONE with a small knife needs to be shot SIXTEEN TIMES! What type of human being are you? Don’t officers have tasers and billy clubs?! If this young man was such a threat why was he walking around for a while in front of other officers before this ANIMAL arrived on the scene and shot him 16 TIMES?!
While no excuse, I’m sure adrenaline kicks in, and some sort of bad instinct makes them keep squeezing the trigger. I agree that a taser or some manhandling would have taken care of this. Dead men tell no tales.
Clown the officer that fired was not under threat, and shot the kid 15 times after he was down
The autopsy states that McDonald had no drugs and no alcohol in his system. Claims to the contrary are pure lies, and so I would be very suspicious of any other claims made against the deceased that cannot be backed up with video evidence as it it pretty clear that an attempted cover up, at least on some level, occurred in this case.
Then why the Cover-up?
These are not Concealed carry laws for the Public. This is Well Trained Law Enforcement, supposedly. Officers also carry a Baton, and are trained in it’s use.
an ASP or ‘baton’ as you called it, are not a defense against a knife. A knife is a deadly weapon. I would love to see you willingly fight a person with a knife while you have what is essentially a stick.
21 foot rule is taught to police officers and a well known rule used in investigations and in court.
That being said, I don’t think this situation called for deadly force, one officer armed with a taser and one with a firearm as back up would have worked fine, or a less than lethal shot gun round would also have worked.
I’m not saying this cop was in the right, in fact I believe he should be convicted. especially based on his and other officers actions after the fact. But it’s easy for people to hop online and ‘armchair quarterback’ the situation that you know little to nothing about, or the stress of having to make life or death situations in a split second.
I’ll take a 2+foot steel ASP against a 3-inch knife any day.
Yes, and once your initial blow was deflected by an arm you’d have a stab wound.
A standard police ASP is 26″ long, and extends its user’s reach by 22″. A knife with a 3″ blade extends its user’s reach by 3″, and even a deflected blow doesn’t negate the fact that all things remaining equal, I still retain the ability to strike a knife-wielding assailant before he can strike me.
Yep, I’ll take a 19″ advantage with what is essentially a steel rod over a blade that extends no more than 3″ from its user’s hand every time, because before someone with such a knife can stab me, I’m going to break his wrist, and most likely, break a few of his fingers as well, after which, I’m going to give him a concussion, provided he does not drop his knife. Then again, I grew up in Philadelphia and know how to fight, which is certainly not true of everyone…
LOL
All these police officers and they can’t handle a 17 y/o boy. They can’t safely disarm him?? He was surrounded by cops, threatening no one.
I agree with most of what you say, especially about ‘Armchair quarterback’, However, I can only respond to what I view in the Video at this point. What I view is the Color of Red, which represents Danger. Every aspect of this shooting indicates that.
I agree. IF an officer HAS to shoot someone, they should at the very least be applying basic first aid to the suspect until paramedics arrive.
Let me say also, that in the Video. Officers did not approach the victim after the shooting to see if he was still breathing. they simply walked over to the other officers? All those shots mean nothing if the victim’s Major organs had not been damaged? And the Shooter did have more than 2-seconds, because the victim was walking away from both Officers. That’s why the Officer was charged with Murder. I respect Law enforcement as Guardians, and realize they have a tough job. But this hurts their ability to enforce public discourse.
Says the guy who sports a picture of a guy with a built-in handle-strap growing out of his chin. Do yourself a favor and stop commenting regarding any kind of physical combat. I’ll bet that you have a ponytail as well…
The problem is that even if 21 feet is too close for the officers to feel safe, they can’t say that their only choice was literally to shoot the person. After all, they had the option to retreat 10 or 20 feet or whatever distance would be required for them to feel safe. and the suspect was walking AWAY from them, which means at some point he was CLOSER than 21 feet and so why would an officer feel his life threatened at 21 feet but not when the suspect was closer to them than 21 feet?
Beyond that, if, despite all of their training, officers in these situations (during which the adrenaline is understandably pumping) cannot stop themselves from emptying their magazines into suspects when only one or two shots are called for, then we need to restrict the capacity of officer’s magazines. Its that simple. The police need to ALWAYS employ the minimum force necessary to ensure their own safety and to do their job, not the maximum level of force they can get away with. And before you say that restricting the size of officer’s magazines will endanger the officers unnecessarily, in some situations, that may be true. But let’s not forget that the police are constantly reminding us of their heroism, how they lay their lives on the line for us every day. They cannot continue to make these claims if the methods are to minimize danger to themselves and to maximize danger for everyone else.
Yes. The “21 foot rule” which also recommends 2 rounds be shot into the “center of mass”. I guess “Officer” Van Dork got carried away with the other 14 one of which entered the head of the murder victim.
The head wound was a grazing wound.
Except the guy was walking AWAY from the officers. Is shooting someone in the back while they are walking away from you self-defense?
And the cop opened fire within seconds of arriving on the scene.
You have no soul.
How many times have we’ve heard this story? If the police, politicians and other government officials cover up this sort of misconduct, then they have to be prosecuted too. The fact that anyone watching the video comes away with the sense that they witnessed an execution, then it is equally obvious that the people who hid the video and who failed to bring charges against the officer are guilty of criminal conspiracy and a violation of the victim’s civil rights. These people should also be civilly liable and made to forfeit their jobs, pensions, benefits, etc.
I believe the Family has already accepted an award? But now comes the Trial. I would not be surprised if there were many others facing charges of conspiracy or complicity in this cover-up. Bring in the Academy Recruit Graduates now.
I find it highly unlikely that a Chicago police officer in 2015 is using a “service revolver.” A small nit to pick, for sure, but if it’s facts and truth you’re after, get them all right.
This isn’t court and the journalist isn’t under oath. The DA described the weapon during her press conference yesterday as having 16 round capacity. This article, a day later, is irrelevant.
Irrelevant? So what a publication publishes isn’t relevant? You might want to let journalists know that attempting to write an accurate account of whatever they are reporting upon is a total waste of time.
My theory: Chronic meat poisoning. Everybody in Chicago needs to eat a little less from the butcher and a little more from the garden.
The police will always protect their own. Look at Fox Lake, Illinois . Also, why shoot to kill? Shot sixteen times?! No excuse!
Why shoot to kill? Sorry, but that’s how it works. A gun is a machine designed with one purpose, and one purpose only – killing what you point it at. Anyone that tells you anything different is either lying to you or delusional.
It’s a pretty basic part of having a gun. You don’t pull it out unless you both need to and are willing to use it, and you don’t use it unless you both need to and are willing to kill.
Angie, that’s just not true. After you shoot and immobilize the target you can reevaluate the threat. You don’t need to empty your clip into the body. So tell me, are YOU lying or delusional? Which is it?
And you are an expert in weaponry??
No, and I don’t claim to be a weapons expert, not that expertise is needed to understand something as basic as what a gun is for. I *do* have more than a passing familiarity with law enforcement, however, after almost 20 years on the job.
Mayor Thug Emanuel should be charged as an accessory after the fact. He did everything he could – and it was an awful lot – to prevent the killer cop from being arrested.
We’ve been dealing with this for decades now. And, we still have many on the right, saying, it’s all made up. Pryor joked about this decades ago, yet, people still act like it’s one bad cop. The entire system is corrupt.
The Blue Code of Silence. Deadly for innocents, great for violent abusive cops. No wonder cops hate dash cams and uniform cams. They get caught too easily.
The worst culprits are the cops who cased the area, chased away eye-witnesses deliberately without getting names and addresses, and went to local fast food places to erase any security video that might out their lies and conspiracy.
There is something seriously wrong with how police are being trained today. It is deadly. It is a threat to civilized society. And it only increases tension between cops and the people who pay their salaries. I suspect that this new approach, “shoot first, ask a few uninvolved questions later,” is due to the overreaction we had to 9/11 and the creation of the TSA and Homeland Scrutiny Agency. The few training materials I have seen, suggest that cops are learning the wrong lessons today.
murderous cops…the perfect cover for serial murderers….the opportunity to murder, with the knowledge that You will not be charged, that Your organization will do everything in it’s power to allow You to murder again….the Ultimate venue/agencies for serial murderers…..
They are also pulling over women in cars and raping them then remain on the force. There have been recent stories on this.
I would suggest that you bring in all the Police Academy recruits, and send the ones who are currently on the job, back to the Academy? Why not?
IMO The U.S. Justice Dept.should launch an immediate investigation of the entire CPD and take it over if needs be until the CPD can be cleaned up and re-established.
I fail to see how DOJ taking over the CPD will help. They’re all corrupt. And don’t think having National Guard troops patrolling the streets will help, either. That will set more people off.
Obama’s JD do a fair investigation of “Chicago” – his political hometown – the Democratic cesspool that he came from? The JD will only target Republican cities.
3 blacks kill pregnant preachers wife in Indy, 1 black shoots med student in New Orleans….etc this cop unloaded on a brother on drugs carting a knife…. ISIS isn’t what infesting this country!
And Brent they were caught and brought to justice within weeks. This took 400 days… See how crazy you sound now.
! white shoots 9 in church. 1 white shoots 26 in school, etc. etc. You’re right, it’s not ISIS that’s infesting this country. Carry on…
Well, if you’re going to go THERE…Timothy McVeigh.
Why are you comparing government officials committing crimes to common criminals committing crimes?
Because your focusing on the less than 1%. I’m worried about “Reality” and the fact that blacks are committing the majority of crimes. I can’t remember one time that the “black” person shot wasn’t on drugs or having a weapon on them or resisting arrest etc…. Only the delusional fools ( liberal or other blacks) believe cops are the bad guys. No ones protesting from the blacks when the 99% of the killings are being done by other blacks.
When a city is willing to pay out 500k for a settlement and not even fire the officer there is a serious problem, not only with the officers but the entire organization. A person hired to serve the public and his bad decision making skills are costing tax payers 500k and no one bats an eye. The corruption runs deep. It would seem to me that they have created a culture where the officers know they can literally get away with murder. Sadly nothing will change that, especially not just prosecuting the single officer. Everyone in that agency needs to be investigated.
5 million is what I thought I read
yeah, five million to the family of this guy, but he had a previous case where they paid out 500k.
Thanks.
Emanuel should be recalled. He covered up this crime, ostensibly to be re-elected, and his actions in this case may be criminal. All of those in the department who covered up this crime should be fully prosecuted. This police department should be disbanded, taken over and rebuilt by the US Justice Department. Homicidal racism is pervasive in many major police departments across the nation, because 1) Racism has exploded in the nation due to the election of a black man to the White House, and 2) Hatred-for-profit is a successful business model employed by the Fox Network, Hannity, Coulter, et al, and hate messaging is feeding this jump in homicidal racism. Cops are the one individuals who until recently have enjoyed immunity from prosecution for murder, because their crimes are covered up via a network of organized crime, called the Police Department. http://voxpopulisphere.com/2015/11/20/daniel-r-cobb-surrogate-victims-are-paying-the-price-for-the-election-of-barack-obama/
First of all, racism hasn’t “exploded” because a black man was elected president. That is totally ludicrous. Racial tensions alive today in the U.S. are a result of the liberal welfare policies that have destroyed Black families and keep Black people poor for generations, which has sadly led many of the general populace to view Black America as an underclass. I don’t doubt this view is especially prevalent among police, who deal with crime every day and in cities like Chicago that means more of the people you are arresting are going to be Black because they make up a disproportionate amount of the poor, inner-city population where the bulk of violent crime happens. It’s not rocket science.
Non-sense…racial tensions are NOT due to “liberal welfare policies”…it’s due to conservative trickle down economy that favors the rich and wealthy and destroys the middle class, reduces income and makes life harder for minorities. Conservative economics allow the good manufacturing jobs to go overseas to nations with poverty slave wages, like Vietnam, Mexico and other extremely poor nations thus putting Americans out of work. This has nothing to do with so called regulations. I will agree its not rocket science…
Offshoring doesn’t make Black people poor. That is so beyond stupid.
No, your right. institutional racism does though. And I know your going to disagree, but you will be wrong. Study after study has shown it to be the case. Black people are treated much more harshly by our justice system, are much less likely to be hired, black children are punished much more harshly, approximately 50% of suspensions are black students starting with pre-school. predominantly black schools have smaller budgets and larger class sizes. Basically they get shafted from day one, they do not get the opportunities that even the poor whites get. You can deny it all you want but unfortunately it is a fact in our country.
Thank you. A voice in the wilderness.
You don’t think sending manufacturing jobs overseas means that the people that had those jobs here will be unemployed? Or have you just let it slip that you just don’t believe that there’s a possibility that a black man was working?
Just like they always say democrats don’t work. The labor unions are all made up of dems. You know. LABOR unions.
Can’t argue with a GOPER. No intellect to argue to.
Well, you seem to be saying that labor unions do work? Or are you saying that the cronies that scam the system via unions, ie the 200K+ pensions for working a single day in the classroom “work”?
Unions as originally intended were needed and good. Today, they are nothing more than corrupt, extortion systems that did little but drive business overseas and over burden the tax payers with public sector largess.
You’re right. It doesn’t discriminate.
You are right. It makes all of us poor and the 1 percent our masters.
Thank you Hannity.
I respectfully disagree. If there were living wages being paid, decent heath care, good schools, and equal opportunity and social mobility, these social ills would not present themselves. Your blaming the victims. The social safety net is not to big, its to small we as a nation do the bare minimum to help the poor and disadvantaged all at the gain of the middle and upper class. Would you be apposed to providing good paying jobs and child care for all those who seek work. No,,,
You on the other side are giving a complete pass to the parents and the kids themselves. It is really hard to have social mobility when you don’t even finish high school. It is really hard to finish high school when the students don’t want to be there and harass the teachers. Just “giving” people money and spending just for spending’s sake has not worked either. There has to be some PERSONAL responsibility as well. A LARGE issue with the schools are the students and the parents of those students.
Social mobility for African Americans is impossible with all of the single parent families. They limit their own potential by failing to form stable two-parent households.
We set up the social support to discourage male inclusion. They don’t have jobs or opportunity for jobs to support the family unit. Once they have a brush with law inforcement that they survive they are unemployable. Should they stay and help yes, but if staying costs the SO their help, no.
That failure is directly attributable to the refusal to aid families but rather only to aid single mothers with exclusion if an adult male was present in the household.
Racism isn’t alive and well because of ‘liberal welfare policies’. It has been here since the beginning and has never gone away.
Class-ism is a modern way to express racism, but it’s still mainly just racism.
The conservative movement has made it its business to demagogue social programs and direct the rage at minorities, stirring up racist attitudes. The fact is, more welfare money goes to whites than to blacks in this country, but even the white welfare recipient votes against benefits because of racism.
You’re wrong about it being more Blacks than Whites on welfare, it is app. 39% Black and 38% White, but nonetheless it’s fairly evenly mixed. And you are definitely right about people using classism to justify racism, but I also think the media plays a role in that they disproportionately report on Black crimes vs. white crimes, etc. I also think after a certain amount of time you can’t keep blaming history for your problems and expecting white people to not resent it at some point. Because there is a lot of blaming of white people but there’s no real solutions offered to the problem. Should the Whites just all die? Should they pay reparations? Even if everyone now was 100% not a racist, that still wouldn’t change history. Do you think if all the White people moved out of the U.S. it would solve all the problems in the Black community? I highly doubt it.
It’s not about blaming ‘history’. As this incident confirms, the issues still exist today. I wish it was history or we wouldn’t be reading this article.
That’s correct. Southern whites are the biggest welfare recipients. Always have been. GOP hate the poor. When they supposedly reformed welfare so that recipients had to work, the GOP wanted to make it so that employers could pay them below the minimum wage.that’s how they help the poor.disgusting, really.
Hoo doan no dat? We dun aboted haf ows chillins sinse Rocky VS Creed, so dey bee 5 time mo white peeps in da USA then nubean bruthas an sistas. Of cose dey giddin mo paypuh dan us. Wut is ya, ignint?
“First of all, racism hasn’t “exploded” because a black man was elected president.”
That’s true. Racism was there before Obama. Having a black man in the White House has made the racists feel free to openly express and embrace their racism.
And most hate mongers and racists are in the GOP. Look at their candidates!! They hate blacks, immigrants, gays and women. The right wing south is the home of vile racists.
Most poor black people in Chicago live lifestyles that pass poverty from one generation to the next. The worst aspect of that chosen lifestyle is single parent families. Another is reliance on Section 8 subsidies instead of home ownership. Blacks from other cultures are generally only poor for one generation, and their children experience social mobilit.
What bull crap. And what about Reagan introducing crack cocaine to the blacks
The Mayor of Chicago and all others who saw and covered up such a crime must be charged along with the murderer and fired from serving the people! What is going on in America? Are there no leaders with backbone among us to take on the forces of evil anymore? The kkk found the way to murder black people and get away with it…a badge and a gun…that’s all these evil cowards needed! Get rid of all these politicians that serve no purpose but their own.Why waste ones vote on all these self-serving, worthless nincompoops? Very disappointed and disgusted by the Mayor of Chicago…Shame on you and all the Cops who witness such crimes and help protect the murderer and all other police criminals! You’re all criminals…no such thing as a good Cop!
Sad to say, most of them are bullies. ..
I agree with you. That being said with the system the way it is, it has to be incredibly hard to be the “good cop” who tries to get his other officers in trouble. That’s why the whole thing needs to be reformed.
“Are there no leaders with backbone among us to take on the forces of evil anymore?”
https://www.facebook.com/senatorsanders/photos/a.91485152907.84764.9124187907/10154369599447908/?type=3&theater
And where is the justice department in all this. Some of these blatant murderers have been found not guilty by white juries. When there is video of a murder, the justice should then file federal charges.
Ferguson, Democrats mayor, baltimore, Democrats mayor, Chicago, Democrats mayor…I’m beginning g to see a pattern.
That’s because you’re stupid.
Yeah, and you are acting so much better! Hyper partisans of all types are being absolutely blind — and in denial — by trying to put the blame squarely on the other side. We ALL need to stop this, if we plan on getting anything done.
No, what is shows is that the blathering that it is “all the GOP’s fault” is wrong.
Can I pick some GOP rotten apples, and blame the entire party? That is intellectual hypocrisy to play that lame game.
Respectfully, Just “Winging” them, with a handgun (actually any kind of gun)
Isn’t just hard, Its virtually impossible. Its the stuff of movies and myths.
Take a penlight or laserpointer, Have a friend stand 10 – 15 feet away, facing you.
CAREFULLY, point the light, lets say, at his right thigh, halfway between his knee and hip.
Have him slowly pivot to his right (on his right leg)
Try keeping the light, on target.
Now have him pivot to the left. (on his left leg)
Try to stay on your target, (The Middle of the Right thigh)
Your calm, He’s moving Slowly. A little harder than it sounds, Huh ?
Imagine you scared and the both of you, at just normal speed.
This is why Police are trained to aim at the “Center of Mass” ie. The Widest part of the Target.
And only when its justifiable, You fire your weapon, anticipating the person will die.
That’s the use of deadly force.
does not compute. If I can dream it up from behind my monitor cops should be able to do it.
That’s because you did not do the exercise.
For my part, If you can operate a monitor,
You can get my point.
There has to be a solution that falls short of deadly force and yet protects the police officer. Solutions are found by trying to dream them up and then maybe hitting on something worth while. The status quo is not acceptable.
Well, I think the police could aim for the two legs, rather than a spot, and hit one. It might take a lot of target practice and a revision of protocol. I would not like to be a policeman having to make a life or death decision in the split of a second.
A bullet leaves a gun at several hundred feet per second.
( “Faster than a Speeding Bullet…”)
I’m drawing a blank on that large artery in the leg? But if/when you hit it you might as well
have been shot in the Heart.
The point is, a Gun is Deadly Force. It is a hammer, Not a scalpel.
Think of some of the best shooters in the world. Think U.S. Air Marshalls
You are counting on them, to shoot down the length of a plane, in that confined space
not hit bystanders,or vital mechanics, and also… miss that artery.
That my friend, is some shooting!
The average cop will be less constrained, but probably have a moving target.
You do see the problem here?
Yes, the problem here is that he had no justifiable reason for shooting. Then he “ditto’d” 15 more times! WTH?
This shooting seems entirely unjustified, but the police officer obviously feared (mistakenly) for his own life. He should have weapons that would allay that fear but should not be deadly force.
How do you fear someone who is unarmed and walking away from you? What was he afraid of after he shot him the first time…so much so that he had to pump another FIFTEEN rounds into him as he lay, helpless, on the ground?!
How? I don’t know. I think the police officer was running on adrenoline and some kind of instinct. It seems to me that police officers have to be trained to not react as this one did.
This was not a novice officer. He has a sizable number of past complaints against him. How can his department see fit to ignore all the complaints and continue to permit his abusive behavior?
It should be obvious to all that Chicago is a very badly run city. The Mayor and Chief-of-Police have strange notions of law and order and most everything else.
This is in no way anything new in Chicago. You should try getting an education. It can only help you to learn something about America’s history.
I am certainly quite familiar with the history of the violent City of Chicago. But did you not have a super hero type community organizer working the city and straightening it out? Or was he some kind of incompetent dufus with a large voice and a theatrical appearance?
Only RW idiots talk about superheroes who clean up the messes that other conservative sleaze balls produce and then demand to know why the non-conservatives can’t clean up the damage they have caused in the past. (As an example I offer Nixon, Reagan and both Bush’s who left this nation in far worse shape than when they lied that they would not screw over the populace.
I don’t think there have been any right wing sleeze balls running Chicago or trying to somehow “organize” Chicago. The sleeze balls have been pretty exclusively left wing types. If Chicago persists in voting left wing, they should try and find an honest and competent left wing candidate; there are probably some who have yet to become tainted.
Sleaze balls can be both Republicans and Democrats. It takes an ignorant twit to assume that all Democrats are left wingers but then what can anyone expect from one such as you?
Harry Truman and John Kennedy were not left wingers, but then what happened? Could it be that left wingers did take over the Democrat Party and there is no room for reasonable people? Rahm Emmanuel is apparently among the best that Democrats can offer; what a shame!
The left wing has no political power in the USA and quite possibly never will have. The RW insists that the left wing are the devil’s spawn and many Americans believe it because in the USA any accusation of someone being evil is far more credible than assertions that someone is benevolent.
Of course the RW is inherently malevolent since no one from that sector has ever proposed and passed any legislation helpful to the average American. I have been asking for some leads to any piece of legislation from the right side of the aisle that stood by the Average American voter and no one has ever offered any.
Well, I think that the Democrat/Republican establishment (cabal?) has the power. The average American has done okay under that unholy alliance.
It is the right wing, however, that is going to repeal and replace Obamacare and that will serve the average American very well by preserving America.
The average America is far poorer due to Republican law making. If you know anything about post WWII USA you would know that Amerca’s wealth is far fewer hands. When I was in college during the 1970s I subscribed to Fortune Magazine. Every month I got at least one letter from a law firm offering to destroy any unions I dealt with. Thus America’s wages have not grown accounting for inflation even though productivity zoomed up.
The disparity between the wealth of the average folks and the super wealthy is excessive. Look at all the athletes and the money changers and people like Buffet and Gates and it is historically alarming. Such differences do lead to discontent even though the average folks may be way better off than they used to be. It is the people like the Bushes and the Clintons and Obamas who have managed to create the disparity by being pawns of the elite establishment (oligarchs, cabal, ?).
Not the point I was making. You choose to shift ground which means you have no credible response.
Don’t try to sound intelligent.
Why should I sound like anything other than a person who points out that you lack anything resembling any credible arguments and is forced to shift ground so to not admit ignorance and error?
I think you are off topic. Or just plain off.
You veered away and I followed you and pointed that you veered away and you appear to resent my taking notice of it. So be it. Keep on veering .
Well, you were the twit that brought “right-wing” into the mix. RK only pointed out that for Chicago, it is strictly been a Democratic Utopia for many, many, many Decades. The only id10t seems to be you.
Police corruption in Chicago is older than a century. What you don’t see in such an environment is any bastions of liberality but RW ignorance and arrogance are endemic. New recruits are taught that laws are there for the public to obey ad the police to manipulate or ignore.
BS – Chicago is the Liberal Democrats Utopia – they have controlled it and the relationship with the unions for all that time. Your own ignorance and arrogance are showing. As for the laws only applying to the citizenry, that is a typical Liberal idea, at least as implemented here in the US.
It takes a RWNJ to BS his way in the fashion you just used. Has your family ever explained to you that are an idiot? If not, consider this a first.
Never had the id10t issue that you must find commonplace. Then again, as a liberal, brain damage is par for the course.
So you admit to being a RWNJ? I thought as much from the tripe you wrote.
Yes, we sorely need ignorant liars and thieves just like the ones the GOP offers this nation each electoral cycle.
So, do I understand you are running for office?
Your salient point is the inability to understand anything other than a RW lie.
I understand most things with great clarity. Now you are advocating running around with pointed objects as quite justifiable?
I carry a pocket knife every day. The only person that knife has ever caused to bleed is me. Last time I carried a firearm was when I was drafted during the Vietnam war. Everyone in my family has served in one military or another during the past century and a half. Most due to a draft. Thank the NRA for shoving guns into as many hands as possible in the USA.
After all guns are the solution to every societal problem or so I hear.
There certainly would be fewer massacres if everyone had a permit to carry.
In Oregon, the college has one guard and he was not armed.
In France, the musical event had one guard and he was unarmed.
Must be a pattern here. But be careful with that pocket knife; you might go off your rocker at any time and start slashing tires and raising mischief and mayhem and you would have to be shot.
Having watched people with guns during my years in the military I find it hard to believe that anyone is silly enough to believe that more guns will equal less mayhem.
The truth will make you free.
Is that why politicians and clerics always lie?
It takes effort for some folks to discern the truth. Stop trying.
Maybe you can become the arbiter of all truths on behalf on the population of the USA. Job does not pay well but I am sure you are up for it.
Sure. Able and willing.
Delusional and loving it is what I hear you admitting.
Might the “instinct” have been hatred? Sixteen bullets is WAY more than just adrenaline warrants.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to imagine that a long term police officer would hate anyone. But maybe he was just off his rocker (nuts). It is a shame that the folks running the city don’t have much of a handle on anything; it could be that they are just plain incompetent.
I’ve heard he fired 3, shots, paused, and fired 13 more.
McDonald goes down immediately.
See my comment above; barbi 520
What does that have to do with this case. They seem to be pretty good at aiming when it comes to killing black people. We don’t need info on your gun theories. Who do they ever wound. Seems if it were so hard to hit the target, there would be less dead black people
And there will be more shootings by police and civilians.
And in this modern era of videos everywhere, More video.
Don’t you think as a citizen, A possible member of a jury pool
As a person with no experience with firearms,
More, truthful, information,
can’t hurt You, It can only help Us!
Or, I could wait a year, to tell you the truth.
A gun should be the instrument of last resort. I would hope the police officers were better shots than you imagine. I am only an amateur but I know what target I can hit.
Perhaps police officers should have some sort of steel net that can be shot out of some device and surround the alleged criminal.
” …instrument of last resort”
By Law it already is. Again, Deadly Force is for Deadly Force l!!!
And yet citizens are still being shot down.
“…better shots than you imagine.” “I am only an amateur…”
Police have to be competent shooters to be Police.
“…steel net…some device”
They have been on the market for years. Most are about the size of those stubby tear gas launchers. I don’t know what they cost.
( One for every Office, at what, $350 per ? )
Again, This is not a defense of this shooting.
I was addressing some comments in this forum (and others)
some incorrect notions about what is and is not possible, with a Handgun.
Police Lie and Civilians Lie
You are the deciders.
I think my present view is that a gun may be by definition and use an instrument of last resort but it need not be an instrument of deadly force.
“…but it need not be an instrument of deadly force.”
Not with any kind of Reliability!!!
Then police officers need better training on the gun range.
There has to be a better answer to a PCP crazed man wielding a knife that needs to be stopped by killing him..
OK, It seems I can’t convince you about Shooting,
Lets talk about,This Shooting!
The two Officers, in an SUV, see Mr. McDonald walking down the middle of a street,
McDonald has a knife in his hand.
They get out of the vehicle draw and aim their weapons and move towards
Mr. McDonald. They close the distance (Their margin of Safety).
At their closest point,( visible in the video), They are a car lane width away.
McDonald is walking perpendicular to the officers,
He never moves towards them. He never closes the distance.
(What happens next takes less than a second.)
Mr. McDonald does a pirouette, (he turns, in place, 360 degrees)
One Officer fires 3 shots, pauses (according to witnesses) and then fires
13 additional shots.
McDonald drops to the ground, at the first 3 shots.
The other Officer never fires his weapon.
Many say, the Officer fires, and causes McDonald to turn.
In the videos I’ve viewed, I don’t see the muzzle flash, some say they see.
I see a very fluid , what looks to be, self initiated spin, and then He drops.
And in my minds eye (not in the video) I see the other Officer,
who did not shoot.
13 additional shots, after McDonald is subdued.
What do You see?
I see the murder charge as totally justified.
I also see the City of Chicago needing a new Chief of Police and a new Mayor.
And a new DA ? And a new mindset at the Police Union..
Do you find my version of events, accurate?
I don’t seem to have the video anymore. I did not notice the McDonald 360 degree pivot. In any case, my main interest is that events like this will continue to happen and some protocol short of lethal force needs to be thought through and established as protocol.
You did not notice the “…360 degree pivot” ?
I find that statement…shocking, amazingly shocking!
Getting back to shooting in general,
You cannot miss the “360 degree pivot”
Because,
Any Possible defense, of the “first” 3 shots, Will be there.
Mark my words, The “Pirouette”, is going to come up!
Saw it again on TV and the 360 degree pivot was obvious. Did he pivot prior to or after the shots? Does the pivot justify the 16 shots? The police should have aimed for the knees.
I don’t see what relevance your comment has regarding the circumstances of the McDonald shooting as revealed in the video.
Relevant only as far as, what is possible ( with training ) to do with a gun.
and what isn’t possible.
This audience is two groups. Those who have some familiarity with guns,
and those that don’t.
It addresses some earlier comments.
It’s information I thought some might helpful, as they assess police procedure.
This is your opinion.are you a weapons expert.
I would have you re read my comments above.,
and Especially the one below (to Richard Karkkainen about “Air Marshalls”)
( “this is no defense…”), (“This is about what is possible, with Training… “)
This addresses the notion, some people have,
“They could have just shot em in the leg,
or shot em in the arm…”
No, getting shot in the arm or leg, can kill you…Quickly.
That’s why shooting a gun is called Deadly Force!
It is a notion, that comes from watching Movies & TV and
The sheer volume of gunshot victums ,in this country every year )
The truth of the matter, Is very easy to grasp;
Its Easy, to Kill someone with a Gun! Its Easy, to Wound with a Gun!
Its Very Difficult, to place a Bullitt on a Specific spot,
Especially, If the Shooter and The Target are Both “Moving” !
But don’t take my word for it. Try my exercise.
Ask someone You know, who has experience with firearms!
You missed the part where one of the first two shots were made while the kid was standing, and then the cop stood over him execution style and emptied two clips to him while he was on the ground. Your example does not compute and is not relevant. The first OR second shot TO THE BACK brought the target down. The rest were gratuitous kill shots.
I haven’t missed anything.
Anger, blurred your reading of my comments above.
I refer you to, my replies below. barbi520 ; Richard Karkainen ; JzzE1
18 shots?
This is no defense of this shooting.
This is about jury pool/ voters / citizens , knowing truth from fiction.
I believe knowing the difference between Excess and Accident, is helpful.
There will be more shootings, by police and civilians.
I’m just sharing some information, So we can get to where we ought to be.
The issue here is why was “deadly force” necessary?
Where is the leadership in Chicago PD. Where is Van Dyke’s sergeant, LT, Capt? The Chief needs to resign immediately. There is no supervision at CPD.
Whether it is in Chicago and involves questionable action by a official; or, it is in Benghazi, Libya and involves a national political figure, there seems to be a cultural issue in our government that encourages a “We’re above the law” and “We’ve got the juice to cover this up.” attitude.
There need to be a few occurrences (at least) where such perpetrators are brought to justice and the full weight of the law and the consequences are shown to apply to them also.
You’re correlating this to Benghazi?
Wow, you’re a real thinker.
I’ll try to help you understand.
The only ‘correlation’ with Benghazi was using the two incidents to point out the existence of an over-arching attitude exhibited by multiple (at least two – probably many more) agencies within the multi-layered bureaucracy running this country.
Sorry if that point was too subtle for you.
After Chicago, the only other example you could think of in the history of man was Benghazi, Libya?
Let it go.
Nope, just chose two recent examples that most would be familiar with.
Didn’t worry about the entire ‘history of man’.
Our concern is much more limited than that.
Anything more pertinent, to the discussion at hand, to add?
How about the history of black men, women and children being shot dead by police all over this country. How about George w bush leaving thousands of blacks stranded in New Orleans for 4 days then basically stealing the money alotted to help them rebuild. More relevant , you think???
Instead of “basically stealing” let’s call it embezzling. FEMA and its emergency funds were placed under the control of Homeland Security when that department was created. This relieved the Bush administration of the burden of raising taxes to pay Homeland Security’s start-up costs. They used FEMA’s emergency funds instead, betting that there would be no major catastrophe. The Bush administration lost the bet when Katrina came ashore. This is why the cupboard was bare when it came time to help the victims.
Ah yes, them poor blacks, for they are the only people in society to encounter violence or face hardships.
Speaking of relevant….how about the history of black men, women, and children being shot dead all over the country by other black people. It numbers in the thousands every year while cop shootings of blacks ending in death are just a very very small fraction of that with most of them being justified. Yet the time spent talking about cops shooting and killing blacks far surpasses the time spent talking about blacks killing blacks. Bet that’s why it’s been an ongoing problem for decades.
Yah you are subtle all right. Dozens of investigations by tea party nuts. No cover up of anything in Benghazi found. No there there.
Best false equivalency on the internet today!
And yet, you SOUND so reasonable….
If this was baseball, .500 would put you in the Hall of Fame!
With some reservation, I take your point.
I am saddened that the family was “bought” for their silence.
Yes, I found that disappointing too — they didn’t even care if their son’s murderer got away with it? — but I guess that was their choice to make. Like Curtis Black, we have to focus on the people paid by taxpayers, who should not have been allowed to make the choices they made.
I imagine it saved the city money and could have ended up being a much higher number if they would have gone to court.
Civilians… even victims don’t make the choices about who gets prosecuted and who does not. The family did the only thing they could in bringing a civil suit. In case you don’t kno, such litigation is usually well out of reach of even the middle class. I suspect the family probably wouldn’t reach that status. Even if they had an attorney willing to do it pro Bono or even on a contingency basis, their are extraordinary costs: discovery, reviewing documents, investigators, court fees, copies, depositions and on and on and on. They were sat to file, get the 5 million and get out. Especially if it involved some admission of liability.
They did not bring a civil suit. The city came to them to buy their silence. There had been abuse of the boy in the home.
Seems the family could have cared less.
Ugh. That’s unspeakable. All around.
He was a ward of the state. Legally not with the family.
His family, namely his mother and sister were paid $5 million but they were not taking care of him his mother did not even raise him, the city effectively was. He was removed from his home at age 5 and grew up in foster homes. This whloe case STINKS
Sad to say, the union has to go. Otherwise nothing will ever change.
There two unions that it seems you cannot fight. The teachers and policemen are extremely powerful. Municipal workers come in third, in my experience, but they’re nothing next two the first two.
Teachers can be fired for false accusations, so not entirely true
Hopefully Jason Van Dyke’s rope day is coming.
A call for healing should be changed to an immediate call for an end to corruption. There, that should help the mayor’s understanding. The rats who are in on this should have at least earned all of their superiors a pink slip. They needed to know. Whether they knew or didn’t doesn’t matter. Either way, start with the chief and then get rid of some captains and supervisors. Then you will truly end up with only about the same amount of bad apples as the average position of authority. Not the gang you have now.
I was amazed to watch the two Officers stroll across the street, to meet with other Officers, and showed no concern for the Kid who was lying on the pavement. What if he was still alive and breathing? It doesn’t matter how many shots were fired into his body. A total disregard for human life. That’s Cold.
Google: Homan Square
anyone who covered needs to be charged too
I am so sick of these sob’s getting away with murder. It is time to make the police pension funds pay these settlements.
Excellent idea.
Hmm.. that idea may sound good, but that would be collective punishment. One must not be cynical and must look at things realistically: there are many bad cops, but not all cops are bad.
A Bad Cop is a Bad idea for Everyone?
Yeah, bla, bla, bla all cops are bad if they keep silent of other cops criminal behavior. Considering you hate entitlements “have a good life” settlements should come out of cops pensions or better yet they should lose them all together.
Wouldn’t that make any persons that was a witness and withheld any information on the case itself guilty by association?
No they are not police.
The witnesses were ORDERED to leave and were NOT interviewed. This kind of police abuse cover-up is pervasive throughout the nation.
Noooo not the pedestrians, but the cops who were on the scene and saw what exactly happened. Wouldn’t they also be involved for withholding or falsifying information?
That’s the blue wall! They don’t need to be ordered. They’re on auto-lie!
Criminal Conspiracy in active motion since October 2014 and ongoing.
The officer is being charged with first degree murder. This crime was witnessed by multiple police. Their duty is to arrest anyone committing a crime. They did not arrest their fellow officer. They are guilty of aiding and abetting a felon.
ITA, but Let’s see how far “that” goes.
Not sure of the charges but the other police are required to arrest and book anyone they have reason to believe has committed a felony or they can be charged with a crime as well.
This is not unlike the Movie “Serpico”?
I’d like to say give all cops rubber bullets they can’t kill at least
The emperor has no clothes.
need to push for cops to carry insurence
They already do, i.e., all police must be bonded.
Agreed. The insurance company can determine how much “risk of pay out” each officer is.I think that you’ll find that 5% of the officers represent 90% of the problems and 90% of the pay outs.
It should be against the law for any government settlement to have a gag order. Every settlement agreement at the local, state, and federal level should have to be filed in a public database.
Was the payout of 5-million negotiated with the Family in order to hide the Video? If so, many heads should roll. Remember, the Family did not want the Video out there.
And also remember that the family wasn’t entitled to the payout because they no longer took care of or supported their son. Wrongful death law provides compensation for the loss of society, comfort and financial support that the decedent provided to family. They paid the family off in exchange for the family asking everyone to look the other way and forgive the city for its cover up.
It’s really time to rattle some cages in Chicago, and see what falls out?
And would you say that if it was your son/ daughter, and the city offered you 5 million dollars ,but you and the mother did not take care of him or her, I think not , if he or she was high on something and ,WALKING away from the police and assassinated . Where are you getting this info that they were not entitled to the PAYOFF , the loss of a child and untill you experience that , those words should never come out your mouth . 16 shots , no amount of hush money erases the feeliing and pain.
donsker is talking about the law regarding payouts after a wrongful death. What are you talking about?
This young man was a ward of the state most of his life and at the time of his death. His so called mom was no parent to him. She didn’t care about him. She and her boyfriend neglected and abused him. She should not see one penny of profit from his death. The state paid the cost of raising him not her. She just hit the jackpot and is probably living large now enjoying her rewards for being a pos unfit mom.
Why are the cops who deleted the video not in jail? Why is every cop on the scene, who cooperated in the cover-up of this murder not in jail? Why has the police chief not in jail? The DA should also be in jail. These people, every one of them, are accomplices to murder.
Every level of government acted immorally in this matter. The fact that the failures were so complete indicates that the entirety of the Chicago justice system is corrupt.
Gag orders on public settlements should not be prohibited and should be rejected as unenforceable. Government officials have no authority to agree to them.
We need a federal investigation. Put them all on the stand under penalty of perjury. It’s time to find out what really happened and then to clean house.
All in good time. The horrible truth like the “horrendous” video will rise to the surface bit by bit.
“The irony is, though, that the Burger King surveillance video was running while the officer erased them. And so there’s a videotape of the officer erasing the video.” From NPR interview with Craig Futterman (attorney fighting for release of the video).
The problem is that as it drips out bit by bit over a long time the criminals in government are able to weather the storm. They are experienced at this sort of thing. There should be protests at City Hall and the PD Headquarters, massive protests by all races, demanding the resignation of the mayor and the police chief. Had the video not been forced out of them they all would have participated quite willingly in the coverup of this murder. The BLM folks are retarded racists but that should stop all the white people from being outraged at the complicity with murder at the highest level of government. That PD Chief and his henchmen, that Mayor, are a threat to everyone who passes through Chicago.
Even the singled out officer is being overcharged so that he can be acquitted. Proving premeditation would be almost impossible, this is smoke and mirrors, instead of properly charging second degree murder.
i thought i was the only one that noticed this. i wondered if they had the option to convict on lesser charges though.
Emmanuel has disgraced himself as has the rest of Chicago’s power structure. We can only hope that while the cop should be charged, and the prosecutor dismissed, it cannot stop there. Emmanuel has to go and go in disgrace.
The officers on the scene have also disgraced themselves. They witnessed the crime of their fellow officer murdering a person and they said nothing?! They were obligated morally and ethically to expose this crime.
Emanuel and Alvarez are probably both guilty of felony obstruction, and I hope the DOJ or even Lisa Madigan do their jobs and charge them. Forget about “Impeach Rahm,” we need to “Arrest Rahm.”
While it is easy to assert obstruction, it is not so easy to prove it without a whistle blower who was present at any discussions that could be considered as conspiracies to obstruct justice.
If the DOJ wanted to bring charges, they have enough for that circumstantially. (If they can do what they did to Hastert and Blagojevich, I suspect a couple of smart young prosecutors looking to make a name for themselves could come up with enough evidence for a sympathetic judge.)
I would prefer Emanuel and Alvarez actually be found guilty, but even just charging them would make the point.
I long ago accepted that politics is complicated, compromises are necessary, one hand washes the other, etc. But this particular crime steps over what I consider my particular line in the sand.
Both Hastert and Blagojevich were prosecuted with ample evidence, neither was charged based on somebody offering their theory that a felon must have been committed. Maybe you should consider taking a few courses in law?
I don’t want to get into a pissing match, although I will say that it is attitudes like yours that always find an excuse for not fighting for what is right.
(And if you don’t believe that both Hastert and Blago were selective prosecutions based on political realities and paybacks, I’ve got a bridge you might be interested in purchasing.)
I am all for indictments being filed for obstruction of justice but I am opposed to doing so in such a fashion that a judge will surely dismiss them. Wishful thinking is not useful.
I disagree. Many of the most profound changes in our society follow failed legal challenges.
By saying don’t pursue this any farther because we won’t win, you are being reasonable, which only serves to reinforce the status quo. F— reasonable! There are times when outrage is the only reasonable response.
They are under Obama’s protection.
Here you go with the Obama blame again . If the President speaks out on these issues , he gets accused of blaming all police officers. The people responsible for this cover-up , is everyone in the chain of command . Along with the Mayor , chief the prosecutor ,the good cops who in every city will never speak up against the bad . You know the code of silence , and what about the cops who came in the restaurant and erased all those minutes off the video ? I hope a federal investigation is done , because everyone should be held accountable . Even if this young man was white and holding a knife walking away , no one deserves to be shot down like a dog 16 times ! This is so sad.
Conservative republicans love police socialism so we can’t turn Republicans for anything.
Thank you for that helpful statement. And the previous. You seem very inteligent!
Obama ain’t have a damn thing to do with this shooting, he was in Washington DC. So find someone else to blame.
Everyone involved in the cover-up should be charged with obstruction, if not being accessories. Every single one, all the way up the chain of command. You may not get convictions, but they should still be charged and tried.
The other police present during the shooting are guilty of hiding the facts and lying about what occurred also, but this is normal for police…, the so-called 99 percent that say they should receive respect. Respect for what?? Acting like a street gang and covering for the other gang members……..??
how do we go about impeachment of the mayor or bring criminal charges against him??
Impeachment is a legislative action. Can you persuade the city council to attack other elected officials?
Have any of the police apologists who keep insisting that there are only a few bad ones yet offered their explanations for how this could happen if that were true?
Better yet, can any of them explain why the “good” ones never get around to purging the bad ones? Every department is aware of who the felons in their midst are but since they are uniformed felons their transgressions must be forgiven and kept out of the media.
Yes, it’s called a liberal state.
Why not look up the word ‘liberal’ and start educating yourself from there?
Liberal- A delusion created to generate money by finding a victim whether true or not.
Conservative is someone who believes in nothing has no principles and has nothing to bring to the conversation except say liberal
It’s time for a federal investigation of the Chicago police force. Clearly, someone lied about this case. It’s unacceptable for the police to deliberately lie to the public. We need to put them all on the witness stand–under penalty of perjury–and find out what really happened.
Hes a bit too cosy with obama tho
The settlement was given to the family a month before Rahm Emanuels reelection as Hush money. Anyone have details about how the 5 million is to be payed to the family? I am willing to bet the money will be structured over several years so that the city could yank the remaining payments if the family didn’t keep quite.
I understand that the “settlement” is in a structured annuity with McDonald’s sister as the beneficiary. Don’t have firm confirmation on this yet, but suspect it is true (considering the non-custodial status of his mother) and that any public comment by the family could lead to revocation of the agreement. Thus the families’ deafening silence during the Black Friday protests. No participation. No acknowledgement. No show of appreciation. The details of this $5.5 million dollar settlement (hush money) need to be released for public review, immediately!!!
And this family was disgusting for making a deal with the devil. Some people are so damn gullible and money hungry, such as this family!
Call me stupid – but surely an officer observed deleting video camera evidence, a la at Burger King, is more than enough to proffer charges against that individual? Moreover, it would be interesting to read the reports, whoops I mean mutterings of fiction, initially submitted by other officers at the scene.
The police officer will likely be found not guilty. The thug with the knife was hopped up on PCP, an animal tranquilizer that is known to give the abuser something akin to superhuman strength with extreme suppression of the pain receptors. The abuser could quite easily take a lot of handgun rounds before he stopped being a threat, making the officer unsure whether he even has hit the threat with his gunfire. I would surely give the officer a pass if on a jury for something such as this.
“The abuser could quite easily take a lot of handgun rounds before he stopped being a threat…”
“…for something such as this”
Except for one thing, The totality of the situation.
6+? Officers on scene.
2 Who know, at least one other Officer, has drawn and aimed his weapon.
1 Officers fires, (which in and of itself isn’t a problem, yet).
According to some reports, the Officer then pauses “Several” seconds. and then…
Fires 13 additional rounds at the suspect, “Who dropped like a Rock”,
After the first 3 shots, and never moves again.
If those reports are true, and you’ve viewed the video (without the benefit of Audio)
Do you come to, the same conclusion, “…for something such as this” ?
blood lust. he must hate N*ggers too
So basically you are attempting to condone what this officer did. SMDH! Disgusting
U are very disgusting to the community and don’t have any sense u r pathetic
If FOP gets its way, CPD misconduct records are going to be destroyed. This is just unreal, but its real.
http://www.chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/367449/cant-allow-police-misconduct-records-destroyed
http://chicagoreporter-newspack-3.newspackstaging.com/how-chicago-tried-to-cover-up-a-police-execution/
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/31958-the-chicago-police-are-seeking-to-destroy-hundreds-of-thousands-of-records-of-police-misconduct
Newport News and Virginia state police have murdered hundreds with the active denial system. They tase them into heart attacks and walk away – they are murderers!
Hi Everyone ! Fire , the Mayor, The DA, the Police Chief, and any office involved in the cover,they need to go weed they out, they actually bad cops, give them the boot.