On November 19th, a Cook County judge ordered the release of the dash-cam video recording of Laquan McDonald's final moments before being fatally shot by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. The order mandated the video be released by November 25th. The court's decision comes at a time in our nation when there is a great deal of mistrust surrounding police officers and their actions. In recent months, urban communities across our nation have protested police brutality, the use of excessive force, and the lack of justice for the victims. The case against Officer Van Dyke is a similar catalyst for protest and outrage.
The purported actions taken by Officer Van Dyke and the lack of transparency surrounding this case is extremely disturbing. We must acknowledge when something is wrong and we must call it out. It is unfortunate that the video is finally being released after many attempts to keep it from the public. I am committed to transparency as an Alderman, and I expect it as a citizen. The adverse effects of withholding information from citizens breeds distrust and perpetuates the culture of dishonesty that many believe exist within the police system.
Upon release of the video, we will all see that Officer Van Dyke acted outside of his sworn duties. The fact that his job as a police officer has been protected by the Fraternal Order of Police union contract for this long is shameful. It appears to me that the police union and some members of the police department are more interested in protecting police officers than for justice to be served for the murder of this young man and other victims of police brutality. This is wrong. A system where we protect wrongdoing should not be tolerated. I acknowledge that his actions are not representative of the entire police force, but this is a bad cop and he should be held accountable for his actions. Repercussions should not be pushed down the road or only enforced when caught on camera. The Chicago Police Department and its union must ensure the accountability of its officers.
As your Alderman, I demand the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) prudently examine its union policies. I will push for amendments to the FOP contract that establishes tougher corrective actions and sanctions against Officers who perform or participate in egregious and illegal acts. I believe that some actions taken by officers should warrant suspension, the removal of their police powers, or a suspension without pay. There is also a need for the FOP to share in the financial burden of settlement cost. Residents of Chicago should not be solely responsible for the cost of settlements in police cases. I will argue for this and more as we work to increase accountability and transparency within the Chicago Police Department.
Finally, after the release of this video, I expect there to be public outrage and calls for protests. Many will be vehemently angered by the actions of Officer Van Dyke and may seek to engage in destructive acts that would compromise our ability to gain justice. It is my hope that our community and city will use this case as a catalyst to expose the systems of oppression and the lack of accountability for police officers. Our outrage and protest should be directed toward the implementation of constructive, corrective action. We must be careful to not destroy our local communities and struggling economies in the name of justice. That is not justice and it only harms the vitality of our community and City. We must not lose focus on the main goal, which is receiving justice for Laquan McDonald and making sure horrendous incidents like this do not happen again in our city.
