#LaquanMcDonald

The City of Chicago has just released, under court order, the dashcam video from the brutal killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer.

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

I'm DeAngelo Bester, and I run the Workers Center for Racial Justice in Chicago. The City of Chicago has just released, under court order, the dashcam video from the brutal killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer—and it's as bad as we all expected.

At the same time as they released the video, the county prosecutor announced she'd be pursuing charges against McDonald's killer, Officer Jason Van Dyke. Unfortunately, these are charges that should have been filed a year ago, and that's why we started this petition calling for real structural changes and oversight in the Chicago justice system, which says:

On October 20, 2014, Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke brutally gunned down 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, shooting him 16 times. Because, for more than a year, Chicago city officials showed no intention of holding Officer Van Dyke accountable, we demand:

• The resignation of Superintendent Garry McCarthy for his inability to end the culture of violence towards Black people within the Chicago Police Department.
• The resignation of State's Attorney Anita Alvarez for her continued protection of violent and corrupt police officers.
• That Governor Rauner appoint a special prosecutor to investigate this case and all future cases of police killings.
• That the United Nations launch an immediate investigation of the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State's Attorney's office for violating the human rights of Black people in the city of Chicago and Cook County.

A nearby restaurant caught Laquan's murder on security video—but that video was erased by police.¹ Now, with the release of devastating video evidence from police dashboard cameras, it is clear that the police lied and Laquan did not act in an aggressive manner.

More than a year after the killing, even with full evidence, Chicago city officials did nothing but reassign Officer Van Dyke to desk duty. But now that sustained grassroots mobilizations forced the city to release the video, city officials are finally charging Van Dyke as they try to blunt the expected outrage.

The city's action's are late and insufficient—and that's why we're demanding the resignation of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, an appointment of a special prosecutor, and a human rights investigation. Click here if you agree.

Black Chicagoans face extreme levels of anti-Black violence and terrorism at the hands of the police. Earlier this year, a lawsuit was filed against the Chicago Police Department citing instance of police brutality and a secret detention center. And this is the same city where off-duty Officer Dante Servin shot and murdered Rekia Boyd while she was walking with a group of her friends.

That's why, in addition to the resignations and special prosecutor appointment, we're demanding truly independent investigation conducted by the United Nations and the Organization of American States into the violation of the human rights of Black people in Cook County and the city of Chicago.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–DeAngelo Bester

Source:

1. "Alvarez Addresses Missing Minutes From Security Video in Laquan McDonald Case," NBC Chicago, November 24, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308384&id=135654-10220574-TRi121x&t=1

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