Activists rally on anniversary of Chicago
teen's killing
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[October 21, 2016]
By Timothy Mclaughlin
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Around 200 activists
and supporters gathered outside Chicago's police headquarters on
Thursday to voice support for proposed recall legislation that targets
elected officials and is inspired by the fatal shooting a black teenager
by a white officer two years ago.
The proposed Laquan McDonald Act is named after the 17-year-old who was
shot by officer Jason Van Dyke in October 2014, but video of his death
was not released until over a year later.
The video, which showed Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times and
continuing to fire after he had fallen to the ground, thrust Chicago
into the center of a nationwide debate on police treatment of minority
communities.
The footage sparked widespread protests and calls for Mayor Rahm Emanuel
to resign. The Department of Justice has launched an investigation to
determine whether the Chicago police have systematically violated
constitutional rights.
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William Calloway, an activist who helped push police to release the
video, organized the "Laquan Day" demonstration. He is also pushing for
the adoption of the Laquan McDonald Act, the details of which were
unveiled on Thursday before the rally.
"We just want to hold our elected officials accountable, we want to hold
the police accountable and we definitely want to hold our community
accountable," Calloway told the crowd at Thursday night's demonstration.
The bill seeks to allow voters to recall some elected officials,
including the mayor, from their positions through a petition system. It
is backed by Democratic state Representative Kenneth Dunkin.
Van Dyke is facing charges of first-degree murder and is on unpaid
leave. He has pleaded not guilty.
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![](../images/102116pics/news_a3.jpg)
Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke sits in the courtroom during a
hearing in his shooting case of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton
Criminal Court Building in Chicago, Illinois March
23, 2016. REUTERS/Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune/Pool File Photo
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Police Chief Eddie Johnson recommended in August that in addition to
Van Dyke, four other officers be fired for making false or
misleading statements about the events around the shooting.
At Thursday night's event, the phrase "16 shots and a cover up," was
a popular refrain.
Chicago's Emanuel said in a statement on Thursday, McDonald's "death
was a wake-up call for our city on an issue that has challenged the
city for decades, and brought a renewed commitment to a public
conversation about policing and community relations."
Emanuel has undertaken a series of steps to reform the police
department in the wake of the federal investigation.
He sacked Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy last year and has
established a new police oversight body and a draft use of force
policy.
(Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Lisa Shumaker)
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