Laquan McDonald Case: No More Police Indictments, Prosecutor Says

CHICAGO, IL — The grand jury convened to look into an alleged cover-up of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald has been dismissed, and no more Chicago police officers will be indicted, according to special prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes, who announced her investigation had concluded in a statement Tuesday. A three-count indictment was handed down by the grand jury against two officers and a detective in June. Patrol Ofcs. Joseph Walsh and Thomas Gaffney, as well as Det. David March, were charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct.

In August, Holmes, a former federal prosecutor and Cook County judge, said she was looking at bringing several witnesses before the grand jury. She also said at that time that the grand jury was expected to meet at least twice by the end of October.

The lack of further indictments upset and disappointed activists and others who pushed for a special prosecutor in the case. Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago Law School professor, told the Chicago Sun-Times that no further indictments "shows, all too powerfully, the power of that code of silence" in the Chicago Police Department.

"You have a situation where the officers on the scene lied and lied as a part of standard procedure. … You have a case in which this video was reviewed within 24 to 48 hours, up the entire chain of command, including the superintendent, and all signed off and approved that lie," he added.

Activist Will Calloway told the Chicago Tribune that high-ranking CPD officials should have been indicted.

"The other officers lied, too, on their police reports. That's not justice for Laquan," he said.

Patch's Coverage of the Laquan McDonald Case:

5 Perspectives on '16 Shots: The Death of Laquan McDonald': A ward of the state, shot dead on a Chicago street. A teen who loved his teachers. A mayor who won't lead. Questions no one will answer.

Chicago Cop Accused Of Killing Teen Faces New Charges: Officer Jason Van Dyke now faces 16 counts of aggravated battery stemming from the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old in 2014.

Jason Van Dyke Must Attend Hearings: Judge: But the judge presiding over Officer Jason Van Dyke's murder trial vowed to beef up security at the courthouse so defendant was safe.

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.

More Police Indictments Possible In Case: The special prosecutor says the grand jury is expected to meet at least twice by the end of October.

Accused Chicago Cop's Interview Ordered Sealed: PLUS: A look at the latest developments in the murder case surrounding the 2014 police-involved shooting that killed a 17-year-old boy.

Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting of McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, during an incident on the South Side. 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. Officers at the shooting are accused of signing reports that stated a knife-wielding McDonald advanced toward police before he was shot.

March, 58, had been the lead detective in the shooting investigation, and Walsh, 48, was Van Dyke's partner. Gaffney, 43, was one of the first officers at the scene when police initially engaged McDonald.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune

Image taken from Chicago police dashboard camera video showing the shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Image via Patch archive)