Laquan McDonald

Bio:
Laquan McDonald (born in 1997) was an American teenager who was killed by a police officer on October 20, 2014.  Chicago police reportedly responded to a call around 9:45 p.m. about someone breaking into cars. Officers claim they found Laquan standing in the streets with a knife. Laquan reportedly didn’t respond to police officers’ commands to drop the three-inch folding knife. One of the officers, Jason Van Dyke, opened fire on Laquan, shooting the teen 16 times within 13 seconds. The police claimed that the use of deadly force was in self-defense, but dashcam footage of the incident, released in 2015, show that Laquan did not attack or lunge at any of the officers before he died. Laquan reportedly had “a glossy eyed look” to him, and his autopsy showed that he had PCP in his system. After the release of the dashcam footage, Officer Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder.

Best Known For:
Laquan McDonald is best known as the young man tragically killed by Chicago Police in 2014.

Personal Life:
Laquan was the son of Tina Hunter and he had a younger sister. Laquan was a ward of the state and in temporary custody of his uncle. His father reportedly played no role in his life. Laquan enrolled at Sullivan House High School a month before his death. One of his teachers described him as “very respectful and reserved,” adding that he wasn’t aggressive. His final report card showed an interest in music and personal finance.