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U.S. NEWS Saturday 19 January 2019

White cop who shot

black teen gets nearly

seven years in prison

By DON BABWIN and MI- His older daughter began
CHAEL TARM crying and said "I want him
Associated Press home."
CHICAGO (AP) — The Earlier in the day, several
white Chicago police of- black motorists testified
ficer who gunned down a that he used a racial slur
black teenager in 2014 was and excessive force during
sentenced Friday to nearly traffic stops in the years be-
seven years in prison, bring- fore the 2014 shooting.
ing an end to a historic One of those witnesses, Vi-
case that was centered dale Joy, said Van Dyke
on a shocking dashcam used a racial slur after pull-
video and fueled national ing him over in 2005 and
debates about race and at one point put a gun to
policing and law enforce- Joy's head. He said Van Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke attends his sentencing hearing at the Leighton
Criminal Court Building, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Chicago, for the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDon-
ment's "code of silence." Dyke "looked infuriated" ald.
Jason Van Dyke was con- and seemed "out of his Associated Press
victed last year of second- mind." Under cross exami-
degree murder and 16 nation, Joy acknowledged walking down the street" should this person who ble in a yellow jail jumpsuit.
counts of aggravated bat- that he did not allege Van who had "the audacity to ended my life forever ... One of his daughters
tery — one for each bullet Dyke used a slur in his first ignore the police." who has never asked for blamed the media for
he fired at Laquan McDon- accounts of the stop. Friday's testimony came a forgiveness ... be free when shaming police officers "for
ald. Another witness, Ed Nance, day after a different judge I am dead for forever?" doing their jobs."
Moments before learning struggled to maintain his acquitted three officers ac- Van Dyke's wife said her Kaylee Van Dyke, also
the sentence, Van Dyke composure as he looked cused of trying to conceal life has been "a night- 17, said the media "twists
acknowledged the teen's across the room to identify what happened to protect mare" since her husband events, making people cre-
death, telling the judge Van Dyke. Testifying about Van Dyke, who was the was charged. She said she ate negative thoughts." She
that "as a God-fearing man a 2007 traffic stop, he said first Chicago officer found was denied a job and her said police officers don't
and father, I will have to live the officer cursed and guilty in an on-duty shoot- daughter was not accept- care about people's color,
with this the rest of my life." slammed him on the car's ing in a half century and ed into a dance group be- "they care about your safe-
Judge Vincent Gaughan hood, grabbed him by the probably the first ever in cause of their last name. ty." She also said she regrets
did not characterize Van arms and pulled him to the the shooting of an African- If Van Dyke goes to prison, all the times she didn't hug
Dyke's decision to open fire, squad car. American. she said, her biggest fear her father.
saying only that it changed Hours later, Van Dyke's rela- At the sentencing, McDon- is that "somebody will kill Keith Thompson described
both McDonald's and Van tives tried to defend and ald's uncle read a letter my husband for something his brother-in-law as a "gen-
Dyke's families forever. humanize him, saying he's a written from the slain teen's he did as a police officer, tle giant" and not a "mon-
"That's shame," he said. You good father and husband perspective, telling the something he was trained ster." Thompson, who is
can see the pain ... on both who goes out of his way to court that Van Dyke killed to do." black and whose wife is the
families ... This is not easy." help and who is not racist. him without provocation. She looked up over her sister of Van Dyke's wife,
He also said he knew the The issue of race has "I am a 17-year-old boy, shoulder and addressed said he has never seen any-
sentence would not please loomed over the case for and I am a victim of mur- the judge directly: "His life is thing to indicate that Van
anyone. more than four years, al- der," Marvin Hunter said. "I over. Please, please. He has Dyke is racist in the 13 years
"I assume 100 percent of though it was rarely raised am unable to speak in my paid the price already ... I they've been acquainted.
people will be disappoint- at trial. One of the only in- own voice" because an beg for the least amount of Van Dyke's sister, Heidi
ed." stances was during open- officer "thought he would time." Kauffunger, told the court
After the judge's an- ing statements, when spe- become judge, jury and During her testimony, Van that her brother has been
nouncement, Van Dyke's cial prosecutor Joseph executioner." Dyke wiped his nose and abandoned by family
father said, "They threw him McMahon told jurors that In asking for a long sen- eyes with a tissue while and friends since he was
underneath the bridge." Van Dyke saw "a black boy tence, Hunter added: "Why seated at the defense ta- charged. q