Sneed: Special grand jury sends subpoenas in Laquan McDonald case

SHARE Sneed: Special grand jury sends subpoenas in Laquan McDonald case
laquanmcdonaldshootingvid_4.jpg

Still from police dashcam video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2014. | Chicago Police Department

A raft of grand jury subpoenas were dispatched Saturday evening to police officials who were involved in the investigation of the Laquan McDonald shooting, Sneed has learned.

The McDonald probe is being led by special prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes, who was appointed by LeRoy Martin, the presiding judge of the Cook County Circuit Court’s criminal division, in July.

Police officers who either abruptly resigned, were fired, or told to resign by police department brass received the subpoenas, sources told Sneed. Dozens of subpoenas went out, seeking to have cops testify before the grand jury.

The grand jury is hearing evidence about whether police officers tried to cover up what happened in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of McDonald, 17, in October 2014.

Holmes has said that 26 people are on the grand jury. Sixteen of those are regular jurors and 10 are alternates.

She declined to comment on Monday.

Last year, Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with murder for shooting McDonald 16 times as he walked away from police officers while holding a knife. His case is pending.

In August, Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson moved to fire seven officers — including Van Dyke’s partner — for allegedly making up accounts of what happened in the wake of the shooting.

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