Cop in Laquan McDonald’s shooting freed from jail on $150,000 bond

CHICAGO » Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke walked out of Cook County Jail surrounded by supporters Monday night as he pushed through a media throng after his father posted a $150,000 cashier’s bond.

Hours earlier, a Cook County judge viewed in court the police dashboard camera video of the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, 17, before setting bail at $1.5 million for Van Dyke.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Van Dyke emerged in a light rain from the West Side jail complex, dressed in a dark hoodie pulled low over his face.

He ignored questions shouted by reporters and kept a hand on a supporter’s shoulder as he made his way through the crowd. At one point, the supporters shoved cameramen and reporters backward into a black pickup truck parked in the middle of California Avenue.

Last week’s release of the video showing the white police officer shoot the black teen 16 times has sparked protests in Chicago and led to more calls Monday for new leadership at the state’s attorney’s office and Chicago Police Department.

The case marks the first time a Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty fatality in nearly 35 years.

Prosecutors had sought to hold the longtime police officer on no bail, while Van Dyke’s lawyer, Daniel Herbert, said he was not a risk to flee if released. Van Dyke faces a minimum of 20 years in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.

Van Dyke appeared in court dressed in a brown Department of Corrections jumpsuit with his hands and feet shackled.

Judge Donald Panarese Jr. watched the video on a laptop at his bench in the Leighton Criminal Court Building. After a technical glitch with the equipment delayed the proceedings, he had deputies display the video to the packed courtroom, but few could see the screen.

“I’m not here to determine guilt or innocence,” Panarese said in setting the $1.5 million bail “The law gives a presumption of innocence.”

On Nov. 24, the judge had ordered Van Dyke held in custody until he could view the shooting video. The officer was kept in protective custody at the jail for six nights.

Last week, Van Dyke’s wife, Tiffany, set up a GoFundMe page asking for online donations for her husband’s bond, but it was taken down that same day. Although the page did not mention her husband by name, it described him as a 15-year veteran officer “fighting for his freedom and justice.”

Following bond court, Dean Angelo Sr., president of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents rank-and-file officers, told reporters that union members had contributed to a fund set up to support Van Dyke’s wife and two children, but he did not say how much money had been collected.

Angelo defended Van Dyke’s conduct in October 2014, saying the video shows the officer “went into training mode and takes action that he believes at that time was justified.”

Herbert said outside court that his client is prepared for a lengthy court fight to clear his name.

“He’s very scared about the consequences that he’s facing,” Herbert said. “He’s concerned for his wife and his children, but … is ready to move on and take this step by step.”

Herbert said the video, taken alone, makes it appear the shooting was unjustified.

But “there’s certain things that I know that quite frankly nobody else knows” that makes the case “absolutely defensible,” he said.

The Police Department suspended Van Dyke without pay last week after a first-degree murder charge was filed. Van Dyke had been placed on paid desk duty after the shooting last year.

At bond court last week, prosecutors said Van Dyke opened fire 6 seconds after exiting his squad car as McDonald was holding a knife and walking in the middle of 41st Street and Pulaski Road shortly before 10 p.m. Oct. 20, 2014.

As McDonald walked away from him, Van Dyke took at least one step forward and fired 16 rounds at McDonald in about 14 seconds and was reloading when another officer told him to hold his fire, prosecutors have said.