Since the events in Ferguson, MO, and the resulting media coverage, the issue of police brutality has become extremely salient in the last year. Protesters across the country bemoaned a system in which officers were poorly trained, and rarely held accountable for their actions. Further, the racial bias in their violence was seemingly undeniable, as many of the victims of shootings were innocent black men. Chicago is no stranger to the issues posed by police brutality. In a surprising action from the city, a state prosecutor charged Officer Jason Van Dyke with first-degree murder as city officials prepared to show a video of the shooting. The city agreed to pay $5 million to Laquan McDonald's family before the case was even taken to trial.
Although the murder occurred a year ago, the charges come just as a judge ordered that the city make public the dashcam video of the incident. According to the New York Times, those who viewed the video described it as, "graphic and deeply disturbing." This video must be released by Wednesday.
The Chicago Police Force has paid an estimated $500 million in settlements to victims of police brutality. In the 1970s and '80s, the city became infamous for the systematic torture of suspected criminals and the brutality of the police force.
In a statement regarding the actions of Van Dyke, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said, "In accordance with the judge's ruling, the city will release the video by Nov. 25, which we hope will provide prosecutors time to expeditiously bring their investigation to a conclusion so Chicago can begin to heal."
A lawyer for McDonald's family, Michael D. Robbins, said that Ms. McDonald was bracing herself for the public release of the video. "She is very, very distraught," Mr. Robbins said Monday evening. "It's a reminder about the loss of her son - and it's going to come as this big, glaring, publicly displayed event. She is very emotional."
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