'I'm Not A Racist,' Says Chicago Cop In Laquan McDonald Shooting

CHICAGO — With the start of his first-degree murder trial stemming from the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald just days away, Chicago police Ofc. Jason Van Dyke told the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday that he's not racist and still believes he was "a great police officer." His 40-minute interview — conducted in the presence of his lawyers and a public relations strategist, with questions given to him ahead of time — was his first in nearly four years.

Van Dyke is on trial following the Oct. 20, 2014, fatal shooting of McDonald during an incident on the South Side. He has pleaded not guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery, one count for each time McDonald was shot. Van Dyke also faces a count of official misconduct.

Initial police reports claimed the teen was swinging a knife and lunging at Van Dyke before the officer opened fire. But a police dashboard camera told a different story. In the video, McDonald is not seen as aggressively moving toward Van Dyke, and instead, he's seen walking away from Van Dyke when he is shot 16 times.

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Last year, three officers were indicted in connection with the shooting and accused of conspiring to cover-up the case. Det. David March, the shooting's lead investigator; Ofc. Joseph Walsh, Van Dyke's partner at the time of the incident; and Ofc. Thomas Gaffney, one of the first officers at the scene, face charges of official misconduct, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

March and Walsh have since retired from the force. All three defendants have opted for a bench trial, which is scheduled for Nov. 26, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Jury selection in Van Dyke's murder trial is set for Sept. 5, and he could still opt for a bench trial. Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan, who is presiding over the trial, said he will wait until after jury selection before deciding whether to move the proceedings to another county.

Latest Patch Coverage:

Laquan McDonald Case: Judge To Pick Trial Venue After Jury Chosen: Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer facing murder charges in the shooting, can get a fair trial in Cook Co., the judge says.

3 Chicago Cops Indicted In Alleged Cover-Up Of Shooting: The special prosecutor accuses the trio of doing more than obeying a "code of silence" surrounding the shooting investigation.

No Fair Trial In Cook Co. For Cop In Laquan McDonald Case: Motion: Van Dyke wants a change of venue for his upcoming trial, according to a motion that was unsealed this week.

Date Set For Jason Van Dyke's Murder Trial: The defense is still fighting for the proceedings to be held outside of Cook County.

Although he wouldn't address the shooting itself — his lawyer also advised him not to discuss details of what happened before the incident — Van Dyke did talk to the Tribune about the aftermath and "the bandwagon of hatred" caused by social media.

About his reaction hours after the shooting:

“I remember coming home and … just sitting down in the shower until the water went cold, and even then I couldn’t get out [of the shower]."

Dan Herbert, Van Dyke's lawyer, interrupted his client when he began describing the shooting as the worst day of his police career, according to the Tribune. Herbert also interrupted when Van Dyke called the night of the shooting his "darkest day."

On weighing whether to fire his gun, something he had never done previously in the line of duty:

“Any loss of life was extremely difficult. It’s something you try to mentally prepare yourself for just in case. … You don’t ever want to shoot your gun. It doesn’t matter if it’s to put down a stray animal or something like that. Nobody wants to shoot their gun. I never would have fired my gun if I didn’t think my life was in jeopardy or another citizen’s life was. It’s something you have to live with forever.”

On accusations of racism, including two separate allegations of using racial slurs in his personnel file that were deemed unfounded:

“Everyone wants to be part of the bandwagon of hatred. Anyone who knows me, knows me personally, knows … that I’m not a racist. That’s a great false narrative. … It’s just slander.”

Although he was never punished by the Chicago Police Department concerning at least 20 complaints, Van Dyke has been sued successfully two out of three times. In October 2009, a black motorist was awarded $350,000 in damages stemming from a traffic stop in which Van Dyke was accused of injuring the man's shoulder and rotator cuff while handcuffing him, according to the Tribune.

Van Dyke has been suspended without pay or benefits since he was charged in November 2015, and he works as a janitor at the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police lodge, the Tribune reports.

On how he views his career as a police officer:

“I think I was a great police officer. I always made efforts to treat everybody fairly and with respect and the way I wanted my own family to be treated.”

Van Dyke has received 53 commendations as a Chicago police officer, but he claims the shooting has been clouded by politics.

“I think there’s been a lot of external political pressures. It just seems like politics has been involved with this since the beginning.”

On his family's safety and the possibility of a riots following the verdict in his trial:

“I’m very scared for it. It obviously weighs heavily upon my mind.”

Van Dyke — who conceals his identity while out and who has moved with his wife and two daughters to a different location before the trial — has worn a bulletproof vest while entering the courthouse, and off-duty police officers have provided protection for his father.

On his concerns about a conviction:

“Of course, I’m extremely nervous. I might be looking at the possibility of spending the rest of my life in prison for doing my job as I was trained as a Chicago police officer.”

He added: "I just told [my daughters] truthfully about what was going to happen. I just tried to tell them, ‘Hey, I might be gone for a little bit, but I’m still going to be there for you.'"

More via the Chicago Tribune

Chicago police Ofc. Jason Van Dyke in 2015. (Photo by Zbigniew Bzdak-Pool | Getty Images)