Laquan McDonald Family Wants A White House Summit On Police Brutality

By Kate Shepherd in News on Dec 11, 2015 6:27PM

The family of Laquan McDonald is hoping the outrage surrounding his tragic death will spark nationwide changes in police brutality, urban poverty and urban violence. They called for a White House summit on the subjects to be held in Chicago, and for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to resign.

"The death of Laquan was not to make people famous or anything like that," his great-uncle, Pastor Marvin Hunter, said in an address to the media with family members behind him. "It stems from a problem...that is racism and hatred."

Gathered at Grace Memorial Church in North Lawndale on Friday morning, Hunter thanked the public on their behalf for demanding justice for McDonald.

"I want to thank them for marching for justice on behalf of Laquan, on behalf of our family," Hunter said. "We're here today because there's a problem in the City of Chicago when an officer who has sworn to serve and protect can gun down a citizen for no other reason than he was black."

McDonald's story resonated because he represented many other black victims of police brutality, Hunter added. He doesn't want to lose the momentum for much-needed change.

The family is also calling for the resignation of Alvarez, whom they hold accountable for forfeiting the "moral high ground."

The family did not call on Emanuel to resign. When asked if they think he should go, Hunter said Alvarez's office is a bigger concern:

#LaquanMcDonald fam in response to #RahmResign Q from media: "We have more of a problem in the office of the state's attorney"

— Ciara McCarthy (@mccarthy_ciara) December 11, 2015

Family asked if they hold mayor responsible as well as Anita Alvarez? "You can't fight five battles on four fronts." #LaquanMcDonald

— natasha korecki (@natashakorecki) December 11, 2015

Hunter is also calling on President Barack Obama to do more by sending a White House representative to a summit in North Lawndale on urban violence, urban poverty and police brutality.

17-year-old McDonald was shot 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke on Oct. 20, 2014. The shooting was caught on police dash-cam video but was not released to the public until Nov. 24. Van Dyke was moved to desk duty following the shooting and was not charged with first-degree murder until hours before the video was released.

McDonald's mother was traumatized by seeing the video of her son's death over and over again on the news.

"How would you feel if every day, 24 hours a day, you saw your son die? He walking and then he die? He walking and then he die?" he said, according to Politico.

The video sparked nationwide outrage, protests across the city and a Department of Justice investigation in the Chicago Police Department. Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was forced to resign, Independent Police Review Authority head Scott Ando resigned and CPD chief of detectives Dean Andrews stepped down.

The fallout from the video continues with ongoing calls for Alvarez and Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign as well. Emanuel tried to apologize in a widely-panned speech to the City Council. President Obama is "concerned" about the unrest and a bill allowing for a mayoral recall in Chicago has been introduced in Springfield.