Crime & Safety

Police Radio Calls of Laquan McDonald Shooting Released

The audio recordings were given to Politico Illinois in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

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Audio recordings of police calls the night Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald were released Wednesday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from Politico Illinois.



Van Dyke shot McDonald, who was armed with a folding knife, 16 times on Oct. 20, 2014. McDonald was walking down South Pulaski that night and vandalizing cars. Police were following him and making repeated calls for an officer equipped with a Taser.

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Their requests appear to go unanswered.

As the officers kept their distance and followed McDonald, Van Dyke and his partner pulled up in their SUV. Within seconds of arriving, Van Dyke began shooting at McDonald.

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A police dashboard camera video of the shooting was released to the public in November on a judicial order. That video contained no audio track.

POLICE DASH-CAM VIDEO


The police radio call recordings released Wednesday, portions of which are redacted, suggest a scene that initially was calm and suddenly frenzied, reports Politico.

“Let me know when he’s in custody, guys,” a female dispatcher says.

Then an officer responds: “Fire by the police! Gunfire by the police!”

“You guys OK?” the female dispatcher asks.

“Everything’s fine, call an ambulance over here,” another female voice replies.

In November, Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder. He was formally indicted last week. He’s free on $150,000 bond. Protests have taken place throughout Chicago since the video was released. Another is planned for Michigan Avenue on Christmas Eve.

The Chicago Police Department, now under the scrutiny of a U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division investigation, has a history of not responding to various Freedom of Information Act requests. The Better Government Association in Illinois filed a lawsuit about this issue this year.

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