Ex-Chicago police officer who killed Laquan McDonald attacked in prison, wife says

Jason Van Dyke was kept in isolation in Illinois after being convicted in the black teenager's murder, but was unexpectedly moved to a federal facility in Connecticut last week.</s>Former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, in prison for the murder of black teen Laquan McDonald, was reportedly beaten in prison by other inmates and suffered facial injuries.

As NBC Chicago reported, Van Dyke is in prison in Danbury, Connecticut, after being convicted of shooting McDonald to death while on duty. Van Dyke was in the general population of the prison when the attack took place, the report added.

Details of the attack were not yet clear, but sources said that Van Dyke was expected to be OK despite suffering facial injuries in the attack. It was also unclear why Van Dyke was transferred to the Connecticut prison, the report noted. There had been no incidents while Van Dyke was in an Illinois prison, though there had been some worries that he may be a target for other inmates given the notoriety of his case and his conviction for shooting McDonald 16 times.

McDonald has been sentenced to 81 months in prison for the shooting death of the 17-year-old, a killing that sparked racial tension in Chicago and widespread calls for reform from the Chicago Police Department. Video of the shooting attracted viral interest and became a major part of Van Dyke’s trial, showing the officer firing a number of times and striking McDonald 16 times despite the teen not appearing to be a threat.

Van Dyke’s prison sentence also drew some controversy, as prosecutors had been seeking 18 to 20 years in prison. Van Dyke could be out in as little as three years with good behavior, ABC 7 Chicago reported.

“I’ve been told time and time again that the citizenry of the county of Cook is not going to be satisfied with a sentence that’s anything south of 20 years,” said McDonald’s great uncle, Pastor Marvin Hunter. “However I want to say to everyone – everyone in the city of Chicago and across this country – that if they had sentenced him to 1 minute, it is a victory. It is a victory because what has happened in this courtroom today has never happened in the history of this county and it sets a precedent and it sends a strong message to unjust police officers that now you can and will go to jail if you’re caught lying, if you’re caught breaking the law.”

Officials did not identify the inmates accused of beating Jason Van Dyke in prison, and the full details of how and when the attack occurred were not yet released.</s>To say that the sentence handed down to former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke for the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was an insult would be putting it mildly. Van Dyke should have been put under the jail for his hateful crime. Giving him 6 years and 9 months for his crime was a slap in the face for everyone and left many crying for more justice.

Sometimes justice shows up in ways we did not imagine it would, and in the case of Van Dyke, we got a little bit of karmic justice and a possibility at real justice on the way.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Van Dyke was transferred from Illinois to the Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut last week. Within hours of his arrival at the facility, he was beaten in his cell. A source told the Tribune that Van Dyke has received more threats since that reported beating.

Life comes at you fast.

Van Dyke had previously been held in isolation at an Illinois prison where there were no threats or other incidents against him. At Danbury, however, he was placed in general population.

Van Dyke’s family and attorneys were not told about the transfer until after it happened, and in an email statement, his wife expressed her concerns for her husband.

“We are petrified and very worried about Jason’s safety,” Tiffany Van Dyke wrote. “Jason wants to serve his time and does not want any trouble. We are hoping prison officials will take quick action to rectify this situation.”

In other words “please protect my husband. I know he did murder to a child, but he shouldn’t have to suffer for it!”

In the meantime, the Illinois state attorney general and the special prosecutors handling Van Dyke’s case are seeking justice in another way.

On Monday, they petitioned the state Supreme Court to order a resentencing in Van Dyke’s cause—which could lead to a much harsher sentence for Van Dyke if the court agrees.

As the Tribune reports, Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon—who appointed to handle the Van Dyke case—and Attorney General Kwame Raoul did not target the length of the 81 month sentence Van Dyke was given. Instead, they argued that Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced Van Dyke under improper legal guidelines, and they pointed out that a significantly longer sentence would be justifiable under state law.

It would also be suitable under, you know, justice. There are black drug dealers who have gotten longer sentences than Jason Van Dyke got for the murder of a black teenager who was not a threat to him or his safety.

At a news conference Monday, Raoul said “I recognize that a trial judge’s discretion in sentencing is to be given great deference. However, it is in the interest of justice that we do all within our power to make sure that such exercise in discretion be applied consistent with the mandates of law, no matter who the defendant and no matter who the victim.”

Jennifer Blagg, one of the attorneys representing Van Dyke, said he is being made the scapegoat for the entire Chicago Police Department.

“This case has come to represent all the wrongs, perceived wrongs, of the Chicago Police Department, and it’s fallen upon Jason Van Dyke as a person,” Blagg said. “So what he represents politically is why this is happening.”

In the wake of his light sentence, Van Dyke’s defense team had initially backed off the idea of appealing his conviction. Now that prosecutors are seeking a longer sentence, Blagg said they are forcing the defense’s hand. On Friday, defense attorneys filed a notice of appeal.

“Jason and his family very much want to put this behind them,” Blagg said. “He has expressed that he doesn’t want a new trial, he doesn’t want to go through that again. He’s not happy with being convicted, obviously, but the toll this has taken on his family is unbelievable.”

In October, the 40-year-old Van Dyke was convicted of one count of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery—one count for each of the bullets he fired into McDonald’s body

He was sentenced to 81 months in prison last month.

When Gaughan sentenced Van Dyke, he did so on the second-degree murder charge alone, saying the 16 aggravated battery charges should “merge” into the second-degree murder sentence.

Before imposing the sentence, Gaughan asked “Is it more serious for Laquan McDonald to be shot by a firearm or is it more serious for Laquan McDonald to be murdered by a firearm?

“Common sense comes to an easy answer on that in this specific case,” he added.

In their petition, prosecutors argued that aggravated battery with a firearm is the more serious charge under Illinois law, and therefore Van Dyke should be re-sentenced under those convictions.

They also said Gaughan should be directed to determine which of the 16 gunshot wounds caused “severe bodily injury” to McDonald and sentence Van Dyke to consecutive terms for those counts.

According to the Tribune, aggravated battery with a firearm carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison, whereas a second-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of four to 20 years—which can be reduced to probation at a judge’s discretion.

Longtime criminal defense attorney Mark Lyon told the Tribune, “It’s quite unlikely that Mr. Van Dyke comes out of this without some kind of upward modification of his sentence. How much, who knows.”</s>Jason Van Dyke is currently in prison for murdering unarmed Black teenager Laquan McDonald. The former police officer is serving the light sentence of 81 months in prison, however, his wife and lawyer are whining to anyone who will listen about him serving time.

Tiffany Van Dyke put herself in front of cameras Thursday and complained that she hasn’t spoken to her husband since he was sentenced on Jan. 18. Jason Van Dyke was reportedly transferred from a prison in Illinois to a Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, where she claimed he was “beaten up.” However, the federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed in an email to the Chicago Tribune that the incident was instead “an assault resulting in minor injuries” on Feb. 7. Furthermore, inmates in federal custody being transferred all over the country is what happens to many prisoners, regardless of being a cop who killed a teenager.

“They put my husband in a setting to be harmed because of the fact that he was a white man who harmed a black gentleman in the line of duty,” Tiffany Van Dyke cried at a news conference. “He is a police officer who was convicted for doing his job, and at the basic minimum they were supposed to keep him safe.” She also said, “I want my husband home, I want him to be safe. I don’t need people to go into his cell and attack him. The next time this could happen they could kill him. I cannot bury my husband.”

Well, Laquan McDonald’s family shouldn’t have had to bury him after the 17-year-old was shot 16 times within 14 seconds.

Tammy Wendt, a lawyer who defended Van Dyke at trial, babbled, he was “led like a lamb to the slaughter” in the prison. Daniel Herbert, the lead attorney on the case said, “The mentality out there … that people won’t rest until he is either given a life sentence or killed in prison.” See the news conference below:

Originally, it was believed Jason Van Dyke would receive a minimum of 96 years. However, his 12-year-old daughter wrote a letter to the judge saying, “I have been bullied at school about what has happened. Kids come up to me and say that my dad is a murderer. That hurts so much when people say that to me. My dad is not that.” His wife reportedly pleaded in court by saying, “He has paid the ultimate price. He will no longer be a police officer. His life is over.”

ABC reported: “Judge Vincent Gaughan said he considered the most serious charge to be the second-degree murder charge, not the 16 aggravated battery charges and made his sentencing decision on that murder charge.”

The horrific video of the killing of McDonald appeared to show Jason Van Dyke fired at him 16 times within 14 seconds. The video was released one year after McDonald’s death and showed the teen walking away instead of confronting officers, which is what Van Dyke falsely said happened. McDonald continued to be shot at even after he fell to the ground from the initial bullets.

Two police officers and one detective were acquitted of trying to cover up the shooting for Jason Van Dyke, even though that was precisely what they did. The three men all said Van Dyke, who was convicted in October, was justified in shooting the teenager 16 times within 14 seconds. Van Dyke’s partner the night of the shooting, even said: “McDonald was walking toward Van Dyke and with his arms raised when he was shot.” The video would later contradict that account, showing Walsh lied. Still, he and his co-defendants were acquitted.

Jason Van Dyke’s Wife Whines Her Husband Is Being Attacked Because He’s ‘A White Man Who Harmed’ LaQuan McDonald was originally published on newsone.com</s>The wife of Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer convicted in the murder of teenager Laquan McDonald, said her husband has been attacked in prison after he was unexpectedly transferred to an out-of-state facility.

"We are all petrified and in fear for Jason's life," Tiffany Van Dyke told The Chicago Sun-Times in an interview Wednesday. "Jason just wants to serve his sentence. He does not want any trouble. I hope prison officials will take steps to rectify this right away."

Tiffany Van Dyke, who plans to hold a news conference Thursday morning to condemn the assault, said it occurred at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, a low-security prison that houses both men and women. (High-profile names, including singer Lauryn Hill and the late hotel tycoon Leona Helmsley, have served time there for tax-related troubles.)

Jason Van Dyke, 40, was being held in an undisclosed state prison in Illinois since his sentencing on Jan. 18 of second-degree murder, which carries a punishment of nearly seven years behind bars.

But he was transferred to Connecticut last week, which his family and attorneys didn't know until a day or two later, according to the Sun-Times.

While Jason Van Dyke was kept in isolation in Illinois, he was placed in the general population in Connecticut and was beaten up by inmates in his cell about four hours after he arrived, his lawyers said.

They said they received an anonymous call from an employee at the prison who said he was worried about the former officer's safety, the Sun-Times said.

Jason Van Dyke, who is white, shot McDonald, who was black, 16 times during an encounter on a Chicago street in October 2014. The incident was captured on a police dashboard camera, sparking racial tensions, a federal investigation and political upheaval in the city.

The last time a Chicago police officer was convicted of murder for an on-duty killing was more than 50 years ago.

Prosecutors had sought a minimum of 18 years for the shooting, but the judge's sentencing was based on a count of second-degree murder conviction and not the 16 counts of aggravated battery, which would have carried more prison time. On Monday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he would challenge the judge's sentence.</s>Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014, was reportedly attacked shortly after being transferred to a Connecticut facility. According to the Chicago Tribune, Van Dyke was beaten inside his prison cell.

“We are petrified and very worried about Jason’s safety,” Van Dyke's wife Tiffany said in an emailed statement to reporters. “Jason wants to serve his time and does not want any trouble. We are hoping prison officials will take quick action to rectify this situation.”

Tiffany Van Dyke and her attorney allege they didn't know Jason was being transferred from Illinois to the Danbury Federal Correctional Institution. Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Reportedly, he could be released in as little as three.

The state attorney general and special prosecutors on Monday announced they filed a petition with the Illinois Supreme Court to challenge Van Dyke's sentence, which was handed down by Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan.

Despite being found guilty of 16 counts of aggravated battery--one count for each time Van Dyke shot the teen--he wasn't charged for it. Each count carries a minimum of six years in jail. When combined Van Dyke could've faced 96 years in prison.

After Van Dyke's conviction but prior to his sentencing, he was held in isolation at a Quad Cities-area jail. The decision was part of a Cook County arrangement for high-profile, dangerous or inmates cooperating with authorities in cases.</s>Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who shot and killed Laquan McDonald has been beaten in prison, and his wife is speaking out.Jason's wife, Tiffany, says that he was assaulted in his cell by more than one person after he was placed in the general population at the jail. A source told ABC7 Van Dyke suffered facial injuries but is expected to be okay,Van Dyke's family says they are all petrified and in fear for Jason's life. His wife says the 40-year-old former officer just wants to serve his sentence and does not want any trouble.Van Dyke was sentenced last month to nearly seven years in prison after being convicted in connection with the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. He was being held at the Rock Island County Jail in the northwestern part of the state, but according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons he was recently moved to a low security correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, where the assault took place.It's unclear why he was transferred to that facility and if the inmates who assaulted him knew he was an ex-police officer.Van Dyke's wife and attorneys plan to hold a news conference Thursday.A spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police said, "We are deeply concerned about Jason's safety and we do not understand why the IDOC made the decision that led to this. We expect authorities to take the necessary steps to protect him and will not stop until we feel that they have done so."Recently Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the special prosecutor Joseph McMahon, who won the convictions against Van Dyke, asked the Illinois Supreme Court to review the prison sentence he had been handed. They said they believe Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan improperly applied the law in his sentencing.</s>CHICAGO (AP) — Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in January to six years and nine months in prison in the 2014 shooting death of black teenager Laquan McDonald. Van…

CHICAGO (AP) — Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in January to six years and nine months in prison in the 2014 shooting death of black teenager Laquan McDonald. Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times, including after the 17-year-old was on the ground. A jury convicted him in October of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery — one for each bullet he fired.

Some key moments in the case:

Oct. 20: Van Dyke fatally shoots McDonald after responding to a call about a teenager breaking into vehicles in a trucking yard. Other officers back Van Dyke’s claim that McDonald, who had a small knife with its blade folded, posed a threat to Van Dyke’s life.

Nov. 24: Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announces that she is charging Van Dyke with first-degree murder. Hours later, the city responds to a judge’s order and releases dashcam video of the shooting that shows McDonald veering away from officers. The footage contradicts the accounts of Van Dyke and other officers on the scene that he lunged at them with the knife. The video’s release sparks days of protests.

Dec. 1: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fires police Superintendent Garry McCarthy after a public outcry over the handling of the McDonald case.

Dec. 7: The U.S. Department of Justice announces that its civil rights division will investigate the police force, looking for patterns of racial disparity in its use of force.

Dec. 9: Emanuel apologizes for McDonald’s killing in a speech before the City Council. He says Chicago’s police force needs “complete and total reform.”

Dec. 16: A grand jury indicts Van Dyke on charges of first-degree murder and official misconduct.

Feb. 16: The city of Chicago says it will release videos of police shootings and in-custody deaths within 60 days, after being criticized for refusing to release the McDonald shooting video for more than a year.

March 16: Alvarez loses the Democratic primary to challenger Kim Foxx , who goes on to become the first African-American woman to lead the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

April 12: A task force established by Emanuel to look into police practices in the wake of the McDonald shooting says the department must acknowledge its racist past and overhaul its handling of excessive force allegations. It also recommends abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates officer misconduct.

April 21: Emanuel announces changes to how police shootings and misconduct cases are handled but draws criticism for stopping short of abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority.

May 13: Emanuel announces that he is abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority and replacing it with the Civilian Police Investigative Agency, which will have more independence and resources.

June 3: Chicago releases hundreds of videos that offer startling glimpses into violent encounters involving police, including the fatal shooting of a robbery suspect speeding toward officers in a van and an incident in which an officer slammed his night stick against a man’s head at a party.

Aug. 18: Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says seven Chicago police officers should be fired for filing false reports in the McDonald shooting.

Oct. 7: Johnson releases details of a proposed new policy that would require officers to use the least amount of force necessary and emphasizes the “sanctity of life.”

Nov. 16: A special prosecutor says a grand jury has been impaneled to hear evidence into a possible cover-up by Chicago police officers in the McDonald shooting.

Jan. 13: The Justice Department announces the findings of its civil rights investigation. It says the Chicago Police Department has violated the constitutional rights of residents for years — permitting racial bias against blacks, using excessive force and killing people who didn’t pose a threat. It concludes that the pattern was attributable to “systemic deficiencies” within the department and the city, including insufficient training and a failure to hold bad officers accountable for misconduct.

March 23: A grand jury adds 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm to the first-degree murder charges against Van Dyke in the McDonald shooting.

May 17: The Police Department releases a new use of force policy that requires its officers to undergo de-escalation training and imposes stricter rules on when they can fire their weapons at fleeing suspects.

June 3: Media reports say the city of Chicago and the Justice Department have negotiated a draft agreement that calls for an independent monitor to oversee changes for the police force, which is the nation’s second largest. But it is unclear whether there will be court oversight at some stage in the future.

June 14: Leading community groups, including a Black Lives Matter organization, file a class-action lawsuit against Chicago in a bid to bypass or scuttle a draft agreement between the city and the Justice Department that seeks to reform the police without federal court oversight.

June 27: Three Chicago police officers are indicted on felony charges that they conspired to cover up Van Dyke’s actions in the killing of McDonald.

Aug. 28: The city changes course and says it wants to carry out far-reaching reforms of its police under strict federal court supervision, abandoning a draft deal on reforms with President Donald Trump’s administration that envisioned no court role.

Nov. 14: The grand jury that indicted three Chicago police officers on charges that they conspired to cover up what happened when Van Dyke fatally shot McDonald disbands without indicting anyone else in the department.

Dec. 11: The Chicago Police Department says all patrol officers are now equipped with body cameras.

March 20: The American Civil Liberties Union and several community organizations say that they have reached an agreement to provide input into changes being proposed for the Chicago Police Department.

Sept. 13: Lawyers finish choosing 12 jurors and five alternates for Van Dyke’s murder trial. Emanuel and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, meanwhile, unveil an updated plan to reform the city’s police, saying it will ensure permanent, far-reaching changes within a 12,000-officer department that has a long history of committing serious civil rights abuses. The more than 200-page document is submitted to U.S. District Judge Robert Dow for his consideration.

Sept. 17: Testimony begins in Van Dyke’s trial. He is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct.

Oct. 4: Jury begins deliberations after being told that they also can consider the lesser charge of second-degree murder .

Oct. 5: Van Dyke is found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.

Nov. 27: The bench trial of ex-Officer Joseph Walsh, former Detective David March and Officer Thomas Gaffney begins. They are charged with lying to protect Van Dyke from criminal prosecution after he fatally shot McDonald.

Dec. 6: After hearing a week’s worth of testimony, Cook County Judge Domenica Stephenson says she will analyze the evidence before delivering her verdict to the three.

Jan. 17: Stephenson acquits Walsh, March and Gaffney of trying to cover up the shooting death of McDonald.

Jan. 18: Van Dyke is sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for the shooting death of McDonald.

Feb. 11: Prosecutors ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review Van Dyke’s sentence.

For the AP’s complete coverage of the Jason Van Dyke case: https://apnews.com/tag/LaquanMcDonald

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who shot and killed Laquan McDonald has been beaten in prison, and his wife is speaking out.Jason's wife, Tiffany, says that he was assaulted in his cell by more than one person after he was placed in the general population at the jail. Van Dyke's attorneys said the former officer was attacked on February 7 hours after he arrived at a federal prison in Connecticut in his cell.Van Dyke had injuries to his head and face and is now in lockdown 23 hours a day, his attorneys said.At a news conference Thursday morning, Tiffany Van Dyke said she has not been able to talk to her husband and pleaded for his safety. She said she did not even know he was taken to a federal facility until Wednesday."He was put in general population," she said. "That was not supposed to happen."Attorneys for Van Dyke said they were alerted to the attack through a confidential phone call by someone who works at the prison.Van Dyke's family said they are all petrified and in fear for Jason's life. His wife said the 40-year-old former officer just wants to serve his sentence and does not want any trouble.Van Dyke was sentenced last month to nearly seven years in prison after being convicted in connection with the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. He was being held at the Rock Island County Jail in the northwestern part of the state, but according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons he was recently moved to a low security correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, where the assault took place.It's unclear why he was transferred to that facility and if the inmates who assaulted him knew he was an ex-police officer.A spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police said, "We are deeply concerned about Jason's safety and we do not understand why the IDOC made the decision that led to this. We expect authorities to take the necessary steps to protect him and will not stop until we feel that they have done so."Recently Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the special prosecutor Joseph McMahon, who won the convictions against Van Dyke, asked the Illinois Supreme Court to review the prison sentence he had been handed. They said they believe Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan improperly applied the law in his sentencing.</s>CHICAGO — Jason Van Dyke’s wife on Thursday said she believes her husband was targeted in a prison attack last week “for being who he is.”

Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who was convicted last year of murdering Laquan McDonald, was recently transferred to a federal prison in Connecticut.

His attorneys alleged a group of fellow inmates, all black, entered Van Dyke’s cell Feb. 7 and attacked him, leaving him bruised with facial injuries.

“They are punishing him for being who he is,” Tiffany Van Dyke said. “… You’ve said it from Day 1, everybody has said it from Day 1 — this is a race issue. This is a gigantic race issue. They put my husband in a setting to be harmed because it is a fact that he is a white man who harmed a black gentleman in the line of duty.”

Jason Van Dyke, 40, was sentenced last month to six years and nine months in prison for murdering McDonald in 2014. Van Dyke will likely serve about three years before being paroled.

Defense attorneys Daniel Herbert and Tammy Wendt said Jason Van Dyke was transferred to a federal prison in Danbury, Conn., on Feb. 5. The attorneys didn’t know why he was transferred to the facility, where inmates are allowed to walk between cells.

There’s no comment from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Jason Van Dyke is now being held in a segregated cell for 23 hours a day, defense attorneys said. He was treated by a prison medic.

“Enough is enough,” Herbert said. “This man has been sentenced. He is allowed to be safe in prison. The mentality out there seems to be that people won’t rest until he is either given a life sentence or killed in prison. That’s extremely unfortunate, and it’s certainly not what our system is about.”

Earlier this week, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and special prosecutor Joe McMahon asked the Illinois Supreme Court to review the sentence in this case.

An order from the court could send the case back to Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan for a new sentence.

Van Dyke was the first Chicago police officer in 50 years to be convicted of murder for an on-duty incident. He shot McDonald 16 times after a truck driver called 911 to report McDonald in a locked truck lot near 41st Street and Pulaski Road on Oct. 20, 2014. The 17-year-old was armed with a 3-inch knife and high on PCP.

Video of the shooting, which was released via court order in November 2015, sparked massive protests and prompted federal and local investigations.
Former CPD officer Jason Van Dyke, known for the fatal shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald, is allegedly attacked in prison.