Jason Van Dyke found guilty of second-degree murder in Laquan McDonald shooting

(Image credit: Antonio Perez-Pool/Getty Images)

published 5 October 2018

A jury has found Jason Van Dyke, the white police officer charged with killing a black teenager in 2014, guilty of second-degree murder.

Van Dyke, who shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times after encountering him on the street, is the first Chicago police officer to be convicted of murder over a shooting that took place on duty in about 50 years, The New York Times reports. McDonald's death had attracted nationwide attention after dashcam video was released in 2015, as it showed that McDonald was moving away from police when he was shot and that the shots continued after he fell to the ground.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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