Laquan McDonald: Chicago police officers cleared of covering up teenager's murder

Laquan's killer to be sentenced for second degree murder conviction

Next to an image of Laquan McDonald's body lying in the street, Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke listens in during the trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, Illinois September 18, 2 (REUTERS)

Three Chicago police officers have been found not guilty of covering up details related to the 2014 killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald.

Cook County Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson said in her ruling it had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Detective David March, former Officer Joseph Walsh, and Officer Thomas Gaffney had engaged in a conspiracy to keep the 17-year-old’s killing from being investigated.

The ruling comes roughly a month after the officers stood for a five-day trial, with each having their own attorney.

Defence lawyers said then that the prosecution had presented a “weak” case against their clients, and that they had not met the burden of proof requirements to convict the men of the crimes.

Special prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes, however, had argued the men had written false reports in order to keep Jason Van Dyke — who is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated in Laquan’s death — from being prosecuted.

“We are here because these officers and others tried to make the case against Van Dyke go away”, Ms Brown Holmes said. ”Laquan McDonald was a human being. He deserved due process in the law and not to have police officers write false reports and shape a false narrative to justify his killing.”

In addition to second-degree murder, Van Dyke was found guilty in the fall on 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for each shot he fired at the teenager.

It took over a year before video of the killing was released to the public, resulting in especially fervent protests of the police department and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Police reports had indicated that Laquan had battered three officers before being shot, but those reports were found to be false. And, while dash cam video showed Laquan walking away from police with a knife, police had also indicated that he had lunged at officers with the four-inch knife.

Other reports claiming that Laquan had threatened Van Dyke with the knife were also untrue, according to the indictment filed in against the officers acquitted of conspiracy on Thursday.