In his ruling, the judge cut a break for Jason Van Dyke, sentencing him only on the second-degree murder charge, not 16 counts of aggravated battery.
The slaying of Laquan McDonald that has roiled the city for years ended with a prison sentence Friday that only deepened the rifts, as Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke will likely serve a little more than three years in prison after shooting the 17-year-old McDonald 16 times in 2014.
For the family and supporters of Van Dyke, the sentence by Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan represented hope and a measure of mercy. Prosecutors had asked for 18 to 20 years in prison. Gaughan handed Van Dyke an 81-month sentence, but the 40-year-old officer, now stripped of his powers and facing firing, will likely be paroled after serving only half that time.
Van Dyke’s lawyer, Daniel Herbert, told a waiting throng of reporters in the courthouse lobby that Van Dyke was “happy” when he met with his family in the holding area of Gaughan’s courtroom after the hearing.
“He pulled me in and gave me a hug and it was, you know, he didn’t let go. I mean, it was really, it was special,” Herbert said.
“He truly felt great. I mean, he was not just relieved, he was happy. The first time I’ve seen the guy, honestly, since this whole ordeal started, where he was happy,” Herbert said. “He’s happy about the prospect about life ahead of him.”
To the family of McDonald and the activists who brought the murder to light, the prison sentence was little more than a slap on the wrist and slap in the face. The sentencing came the day after another judge acquitted three of Van Dyke’s fellow officers on charges they lied to cover up for Van Dyke.
Marvin Hunter, McDonald’s great-uncle, who read the family’s victim impact statement in court, said after the hearing: “This sentence represents the sentence of a second-class citizen. It reduced Laquan McDonald’s life to a second-class citizen.”
“We want to heal,” activist William Calloway said. “We want to be able to create better relationships between law enforcement and the black community.”
“Laquan, we love you . .. He’s the victim here. He always was the victim.”
In his ruling, the judge cut a break for Van Dyke, sentencing him only on the second-degree murder charge a jury convicted him on, not the 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. That decision allows Van Dyke to serve about half the prison sentence under good-time provisions.
