Jason Van Dyke Facing Additional Charges in Laquan McDonald Shooting

Former police officer Jason Van Dyke will face additional charges in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, according to reports this week. Following a hearing Thursday morning, news broke that Van Dyke would face a total of sixteen charges, one for each bullet he pumped into the body of the defenseless teenager back in 2014. The incident, which was caught on tape but held from the public caused outrage across the city and beyond when it finally surfaced in 2015, sparking marches, protests and a renewed vigor towards policing in the city's toughest neighborhoods.

Like something inspired by Vic Mensa's latest project, the cop who's had his name shouted the world over as a symbol for the hegemonic policing that has left scores of young black men and women dead will now be served justice for each pull of his trigger finger in addition to first-degree murder and official misconduct. The shooting cost the jobs of Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Police Commissioner Gerry McCarthy and shook up city hall considerably. While no charges will bring back McDonald, it's encouraging to see the city unafraid to offer the full breadth of it's ability on Van Buren.