HR1459 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1459 LRB099 23623 MST 51129 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On October 20, 2014, the Chicago Police Department was called to investigate reports that Laquan McDonald was carrying a knife and breaking into vehicles; video footage of the encounter shows that McDonald was walking away from Officer Jason Van Dyke when the first shot was fired; as McDonald lay on the ground, Officer Van Dyke fired more shots into him; in total, McDonald was shot 16 times in 14 to 15 seconds; Officer Van Dyke was on the scene for less than 30 seconds before opening fire and began shooting approximately six seconds after exiting his car; the first responding officer stated that he did not see the need to use force and none of the at least eight other officers on the scene fired their weapons; and

WHEREAS, On December 29, 2015, Officer Van Dyke pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder; this case marks the first time in 35 years a Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty fatality; if convicted, Officer Van Dyke faces a prison sentence of 20 years to life; and

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald became a ward of the State at the age of three after alleged abuse and neglect complaints that were never proven; his mother, who had also been a ward of the State due to her caregiver's drug use, was only 15 at the time of McDonald's birth; and

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald's early years were marked with instability; he was in and out of foster care, twice being placed in homes outside the family; and

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald had learning disabilities and was diagnosed with complex mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder; the Inspector General stated that he was never given therapy related to sexual abuse despite "being a very angry child with definite aggressive tendencies, and (who) had knowledge of sex beyond his developmental age"; and

WHEREAS, According to the Inspector General's report, Laquan McDonald's death should serve as a wake-up call to those in child welfare; investigators cited examples in McDonald's records in which services to help him and his family fell short or were offered too late to make a difference; and

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald's juvenile court records, usually confidential, were made public to the media; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Police Department has instituted a new excessive force policy as a result of an ongoing investigation by the United States Justice Department that began with the shooting of Laquan McDonald; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare October 20, 2016 as "Laquan McDonald Day" to bring attention to this tragic event in the hopes of preventing similar tragedies in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage this day to be used to study and discuss why the State could not save Laquan McDonald and others like him and what might be done to ensure it never happens again; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to all educational institutions and all police departments within the State of Illinois, and the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Human Services.