Illinois office may seek new sentencing in McDonald slaying

Source: Associated Press

Michael Tarm, Associated Press
Updated 6:51 pm CST, Thursday, January 24, 2019

CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois attorney general's office has signaled it may be considering a rare sentencing-related appeal if it concludes a white Chicago police officer's less-than-seven-year prison sentence in the slaying of black teenager Laquan McDonald was wrongly calculated.

The office said in a brief statement emailed Thursday it is reviewing Jason Van Dyke's sentence. With credit for good behavior, Van Dyke will likely serve only around three years for firing 16 bullets into McDonald in 2014. Dashcam video of the shooting released by the city in 2015 showed Van Dyke continued to fire as the 17-year-old crumpled to the street and lie on the ground.

The graphic video images stirred expectations that Van Dyke would receive a lengthy sentence. But activist William Calloway, who helped force the city to release the video, echoed the sentiment of many Chicago residents last week when he said the punishment imposed by Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan amounted to "a slap on the wrist."

Van Dyke's attorney, Dan Herbert, criticized Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for appearing to contemplate an appeal, saying his office could have weighed in prior to last Friday's sentencing and presented its views to the judge.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Illinois-office-may-seek-new-sentencing-in-13559964.php