A popular jury in Chicago (Illinois) on Friday declared guilty of second-degree murder to former police officer Jason Van Dyke, who riddled a black young man by the name of Laquan McDonald with 16 shots. The incident was recorded by the camera on the dashboard of one of the patrol cars that surrounded the young African-American man as he walked one night in October 2014. The harshness of the incident, which shocked the United States for days, forced the police to check all your procedures.
McDonald was only 17 years old. The video shows how the young man tries to get away from the agents, when Van Dyke - who is no longer part of the body - opens fire on him. His case reverberated in every corner of the North American country and sparked a debate that reopens every time such an event occurs: that of police brutality. The incident also caused a total fracture between the African-American community and the police department in the third largest city in the United States.
The recording shows how the uniformed officer continued firing for more than 12 seconds, already on the ground. Van Dyke told investigators that McDonald threatened him with a knife, so he shot him. But the images do not agree with the agent's story. "He invented it to justify the use of force," the prosecution said. Three policemen were charged for trying to cover up what happened.
The defense, meanwhile, noted that agents responded to calls from citizens and noted that McDonald had a history of violent behavior and drug use. He also argued that he showed erratic behavior that night.
"It was a tragedy, but not a murder," said the lawyer, Daniel Herbert, addressing the jury. "Laquan was the author, the choreographer of this story."
Up to ten agents answered the calls, but only one shot: Van Dyke. At first, there was great resistance to the publication of the video, which fueled suspicions that both the police and the Democratic mayor Rahm Emanuel wanted to avoid revealing what happened. A court order forced it to be made public, but only 400 days after McDonald was shot down. On the same day, the agent was formally charged with murder.
The city of Chicago has been on the alert all week for the protests that were expected in court. In anticipation of the verdict, the security forces mobilized 4,000 additional agents, the rest days were canceled and the shifts were extended until 12 noon.
"Whatever happens," authorities warned Thursday when the jury began deliberations, "there will be people dissatisfied between the two parties."
The calls for a peaceful response by citizens to the verdict followed one another during the last hours. Cardinal Blase Cupich called for tolerance and mutual respect.
"If we choose peace," he reiterated, "we will show our children and the world that hatred has no place in Chicago."
Although the situation has improved in recent years, the American city is one of the most punished for violence with weapons, especially during weekends.
Judge Vincent Gaughen confirmed at noon that the jurors had arrived in less than eight hours of deliberations. He also warned that he would order the arrest of anyone who did not respect the decorum in court, in another sign of the tension surrounding this case.
"Look to your hearts and control your emotions," he demanded.
The US Department of Justice conducted last year a review of the procedures and conduct of the Chicago police that determined that their agents resorted to force almost ten times as often in incidents involving blacks as in those in the which are involved whites. The city allocated almost 710 million between 2010 and 2017 to solve cases related to the performance of its officers.
"I have total confidence in the residents of Chicago," the mayor said shortly before the verdict was known, "this is our city, it's our home."
Next to the second degree homicide, he is guilty of 16 aggravated assault charges one for each shot. He faces a minimum of six years in prison. The other three agents who helped cover up the incident will face trial in November.