Van Dyke's brother-in-law, who is black, also took the stand to say that he had never known the former policeman to be a "racist cop".<doc-sep>“This is not pleasant and this is not easy,” Judge Gaughan said in delivering his ruling. Mr. Van Dyke’s sentencing comes only one day after the acquittals of three fellow police officers who were accused of attempting to cover up his crime, a ruling that left many Chicagoans stunned and furious. And even with Mr. Van Dyke’s conviction and sentence, there remained an unsettled question in Chicago of whether anything in the police department — and what many see as a decades-old “code of silence” in which officers conceal and conspire to protect their own — had really changed. For several hours in a cramped courtroom on Friday, residents who had filed complaints against Mr. Van Dyke years ago testified for the prosecution about those encounters. One man said he had been called the N-word. Another cried and said he had to undergo surgery after being manhandled. Another, a young black man who said he was wrongly arrested, chuckled and said, “He’s definitely in the right attire” when asked to identify Mr. Van Dyke in the courtroom. Mr. Hunter, the spokesman for the McDonald family, told Judge Gaughan how he had used Laquan’s final paycheck from his construction job, issued four days after his death, to buy the suit the teenager was buried in. “Please think about me and about my life when you sentence this person to prison,” Mr. Hunter said in court, reading a statement written from the perspective of Laquan. “Why should this person who has ended my life forever because he chose to become judge, jury and executioner — and has never asked for forgiveness — be free when I am dead.” Mr. Van Dyke, who has grown a patchy beard and become noticeably thinner since going to jail, sat expressionless throughout much of Friday’s testimony. He wore a faded yellow jail jumpsuit. And when he entered and exited the courtroom, he clasped his hands behind his back, flanked by sheriff’s deputies. Jurors convicted Mr. Van Dyke in October of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, one for each bullet he fired. Prosecutors asked Judge Gaughan to sentence him to at least 18 years in prison. Mr. Van Dyke’s lawyers suggested probation. Just before learning his sentence, Mr. Van Dyke rose and read a short statement. Shooting Laquan was “the last thing I ever wanted to do,” said Mr. Van Dyke, who spoke softly and read from a piece of paper. “People have the right to judge my actions, however no one knows what I was thinking in that critical moment.”<doc-sep>A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Community members continue preparations during the third day in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with multiple counts of murder in the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Giuliani did an on-camera interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion before talking to other journalists about Vice President Joe Biden and the news that Russian intelligence may have paid Taliban operatives to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Vigils & tributes to George Floyd one year since his murder ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Begun in 1974, CPAC brings together conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders to discuss issues important to them. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Here's what reported grand jury in Trump case may look like NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. After listening to nearly four hours of legal arguments, the Senate has voted on Tuesday to move ahead with the impeachment trial of former President Trump. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Israel and Hamas announced that they would agree to a cease-fire, which will take into effect on Friday, following days of fighting that claimed more than 200 lives. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 26: A view of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail yard where a mass shooting occurred on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. A VTA employee opened fire at the yard, with preliminary reports indicating nine people dead including the gunman. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Getty Images) A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at The Michener Institute, in Toronto, Ontario on December 14, 2020. - Ontario, Canada's most populous province and one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, had 1,940 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday. The province is expected to give its next doses to nursing home workers as a priority, according to media reports. (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 'Never seen levels like this': Union president on airline passenger misconduct Memorial Day weekend will bring rain and cool air for much of the East (CNN) — Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago cop whose fatal 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald reignited the fervent nationwide conversation about police shootings, was sentenced Friday to six years and nine months in prison. The veteran police officer was convicted in October of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for the shooting in October 2014. The shooting and video of it prompted protests throughout Chicago and calls for Van Dyke to face serious prison time. On Friday, he was sentenced on just the murder charge, Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan said. The aggravated battery charges carried potentially more prison time. Special Prosecutor Joe McMahon, who had recommended that Van Dyke be sentenced to a minimum of 18 years for the aggravated battery charges, said justice was served. “This is a significant sentence,” McMahon said. “I and this team are satisfied we achieved our goal of justice and holding Jason Van Dyke accountable for his actions.” Pool/Chicago Tribune Jason Van Dyke is seen in the courtroom on Friday. One of Van Dyke’s defense lawyers, Daniel Herbert, told reporters the former officer was happy with the verdict. “He truly felt great,” Herbert said after talking with his client for a few minutes. “(But) he’s certainly not happy about going to jail. He’s not happy about missing his family, but he’s happy about the prospect of life ahead of him.” Herbert said a decision has not been made on whether to appeal. Given a chance to speak before the judge’s ruling, Van Dyke reiterated that he had feared for his life. “No one wants to take someone’s life, even in defense of their own,” he said. He said he prayed daily for McDonald’s soul. Van Dyke’s sentencing came a day after a Cook County judge found three other Chicago police officers not guilty of falsifying police reports to protect Van Dyke, in a case that had come to be seen as a referendum on Chicago police officers’ so-called “code of silence,” and their alleged willingness to protect each other from criminal investigations. ’Judge, jury and executioner’ The prosecution called several black men as witnesses who testified they had run-ins with Van Dyke and that he had allegedly mistreated them. The first, Vidale Joy, said that Van Dyke pulled him over as he was leaving a gas station in August 2005. Van Dyke had his gun drawn and “put the gun to my temple,” Joy alleged. He also alleged that Van Dyke called him the n-word. Edward Nance said in his tearful testimony that he sustained shoulder injuries from his interactions with Van Dyke and had to have surgery on both rotator cuffs. Nane also testified he now has anxiety, PTSD and ADD as a result of his run-in with Van Dyke in July 2007. The prosecution did not bring an expert witness to testify that Nance’s injuries were caused by Van Dyke’s actions. Pool/Chicago Tribune Edward Nance said he had lasting injuries after he was pulled over by Van Dyke in 2007. Laquan McDonald’s great uncle the Rev.<doc-sep>The family of a black teenager killed by a former Chicago police officer say they are unhappy with the length of the prison sentence given to the officer, describing it as “a slap in the face”. Jason Van Dyke was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison on Friday for killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. He was convicted last year of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery, one count for each bullet he had fired at the teenager. The case has fuelled debates about race and policing and its “code of silence”, and sparked large street demonstrations after a video of the incident emerged 13 months later, only because a judge demanded its release. Footage showed Van Dyke opening fire within seconds of getting out of his police car and continuing to shoot Mr McDonald as he lay in the street. The sentence of less than seven years for Van Dyke – and the possibility that he may serve only half of that – led Mr McDonald’s family and at least one activist to question whether justice had been done and the right message sent to other officers. Recommended Chicago police officers cleared of covering up Laquan McDonald murder William Calloway, who was instrumental in the legal battle that led to the release of the dashcam video in 2015, described the penalty as “a slap in the face to us and a slap on the wrist” for Van Dyke. The sentencing came a day after a different judge acquitted three officers accused of lying about the shooting to protect Van Dyke, who was probably the first Chicago officer ever found guilty in the shooting of an African American. That verdict also disappointed many Chicagoans who hoped convictions would help eradicate a code-of-silence culture that dates back decades among officers in the nation’s third-largest city. Mr McDonald’s family lamented that the penalty was too light. His great uncle said the sentence reduced Mr McDonald’s life to that of “a second-class citizen” and “suggests to us that there are no laws on the books for a black man that a white man is bound to honour”. In a brief statement, Van Dyke acknowledged the teenager’s death, telling the judge that “as a God-fearing man and father, I will have to live with this the rest of my life”. The sentence was less than half of the penalty that had been sought by prosecutors, who asked for 18 to 20 years. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona.<doc-sep>
CHICAGO — The white Chicago police officer who gunned down a black teenager in 2014 was sentenced Friday to nearly seven years in prison, bringing an end to a historic case that was centered on a shocking dashcam video and fueled national debates about race and policing and law enforcement’s “code of silence.” Jason Van Dyke was convicted last year of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery — one for each bullet he fired at Laquan McDonald. Moments before learning the sentence, Van Dyke acknowledged the teen’s death, telling the judge that “as a God-fearing man and father, I will have to live with this the rest of my life.” Judge Vincent Gaughan did not characterize Van Dyke’s decision to open fire, saying only that it changed both McDonald’s and Van Dyke’s families forever. “That’s shame,” he said. You can see the pain … on both families … This is not easy.” He also said he knew the sentence would not please anyone. “I assume 100 percent of people will be disappointed.” After the judge’s announcement, Van Dyke’s father said, “They threw him underneath the bridge.” His older daughter began crying and said “I want him home.” Earlier in the day, several black motorists testified that he used a racial slur and excessive force during traffic stops in the years before the 2014 shooting. “I assume 100 percent of people will be disappointed.” – Judge Vincent Gaughan One of those witnesses, Vidale Joy, said Van Dyke used a racial slur after pulling him over in 2005 and at one point put a gun to Joy’s head. He said Van Dyke “looked infuriated” and seemed “out of his mind.” Under cross examination, Joy acknowledged that he did not allege Van Dyke used a slur in his first accounts of the stop. Another witness, Ed Nance, struggled to maintain his composure as he looked across the room to identify Van Dyke. Testifying about a 2007 traffic stop, he said the officer cursed and slammed him on the car’s hood, grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to the squad car. Hours later, Van Dyke’s relatives tried to defend and humanize him, saying he’s a good father and husband who goes out of his way to help and who is not racist. The issue of race has loomed over the case for more than four years, although it was rarely raised at trial. One of the only instances was during opening statements, when special prosecutor Joseph McMahon told jurors that Van Dyke saw “a black boy walking down the street” who had “the audacity to ignore the police.” Friday’s testimony came a day after a different judge acquitted three officers accused of trying to conceal what happened to protect Van Dyke, who was the first Chicago officer found guilty in an on-duty shooting in a half century and probably the first ever in the shooting of an African-American. At the sentencing, McDonald’s uncle read a letter written from the slain teen’s perspective, telling the court that Van Dyke killed him without provocation. “I am a 17-year-old boy, and I am a victim of murder,” Marvin Hunter said. “I am unable to speak in my own voice” because an officer “thought he would become judge, jury and executioner.” In asking for a long sentence, Hunter added: “Why should this person who ended my life forever … who has never asked for forgiveness … be free when I am dead for forever?” Van Dyke’s wife said her life has been “a nightmare” since her husband was charged. She said she was denied a job and her daughter was not accepted into a dance group because of their last name. If Van Dyke goes to prison, she said, her biggest fear is that “somebody will kill my husband for something he did as a police officer, something he was trained to do.” She looked up over her shoulder and addressed the judge directly: “His life is over. Please, please. He has paid the price already … I beg for the least amount of time.” During her testimony, Van Dyke wiped his nose and eyes with a tissue while seated at the defense table in a yellow jail jumpsuit.