Ten years later, Laquan McDonald's death continues to shape Chicago police reform

CHICAGO - Sunday marked 10 years since a Chicago teenager was shot and killed by a police officer, sparking mass protests and prompting significant reforms within the city's police department.

Laquan McDonald, 17, was fatally shot 16 times by former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke on Oct. 20, 2014. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and served half of his 81-month sentence before being released.

McDonald's death led to weeks of protests and calls for police reform. In 2019, the city entered into a consent decree, a court-ordered agreement that mandated reforms to ensure the police department performs constitutional and effective policing.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, in a statement Sunday, discussed the progress made in implementing these reforms. 

"In the last decade, Chicago has created a new ecosystem of police accountability with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, formed to ensure that allegations of police misconduct are independently and fairly investigated," Johnson said. 

The City of Chicago now releases footage from officer-involved shootings and other police-involved incidents within 60 days. 

"The death of Laquan McDonald was one of the darkest moments in our city’s history, but out of that tragedy came transformation that is moving us forward," Johnson said.

Johnson continued by saying McDonald deserved better from the city and that Chicago is still fighting for equitable community safety.