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Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, who faces first-degree murder charges for killing Laquan McDonald amid a police cover-up scandal, walked out of jail after paying a US$1.5-million bail, according to NBC News.
Van Dyke was arrested last Tuesday after prosecutors charged him for the 2014 killing of McDonald, whom he shot 16 times even though he posed no threat. He was released Monday around 5 p.m. local time after paying US$150,000-bond, the Bipartisan Report said.
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Just got word the cop #JasonVanDyke who shot #LaquanMcDonald 16x in Chicago just released on a $1.5 Million bond! pic.twitter.com/W5Jy53Rk2K
— MarQuis Trill (@6BillionPeople)
December 1, 2015
ATTENTION: Murderer #JasonVanDyke is free and dangerous. wanted for killing Laquan McDonald. RT this if you want him brought to justice
— one love (@VicMensa)
December 1, 2015
Unreal. #LaquanMcDonald https://t.co/YQ07s1QuMt
— deray mckesson (@deray)
November 30, 2015
“The officer shot the 17-year-old 16 times, despite the fact that he appeared to pose no threat to anyone. McDonald was reportedly holding a knife, which he used to slash the tires of a police vehicle, but was moving away from officers at the time when he was killed,” the news outlet said.
In a matter of 30 seconds after arriving on scene, Van Dyke fired on McDonald and continued to do so after his body laid lifeless on the ground, the video of a police dashcam confirms.
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The police officer was reloading his weapon to continue shooting at McDonald, Bipartisan added, but his partner apparently stopped him.
State Attorney Anita Alvarez has stated proper police procedures were violated and that killing of the teenager was not justified.
“With these charges, we are bringing a full measure of justice that this demands,” Alvarez told reporters on the day of Van Dyke's arrest.
As soon as Van Dyke abandoned prison, social media erupted, the Bipartisan Report added.
Jason VanDyke is free? Be safe Chicagoans
— The Beloved (@KaramielKookie)
December 1, 2015
The charged VanDyke only because they HAD to release the video. And they KNEW what was gonna happen if they didn't. A charge isn't justice.
— Mark Hood (@MarkJPHood)
November 25, 2015
In the meantime, NBC News revealed that police entered a Burger King near to where McDonald was shot immediately after the crime to erase footage that could compromise the crime that had just been committed.
The television network obtained screen grabs of interior video footage from the hamburger joint that appears to show Chicago police at a computer terminal. The news outlet added that over an hour of footage is missing from the restaurant's security video.
Jay Darshane, a Burger King district manager, confirmed that footage has been erased from 9:13 p.m. to 10:39 p.m.. Van Dyke shot McDonald at 9:57 p.m.
The manager affirmed both the indoor and outdoor cameras were working properly the night of McDonald's shooting death, and that four or five police officers came into the store, specifically to delete the tape.
“We had no idea they were going to sit there and delete files,” Darshane said. “I mean we were just trying to help the police officers.”
But, Alvarez has refuted the version, saying there is no evidence to corroborate the video was tampered with.
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