HR0658 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0658 LRB102 26209 ECR 36003 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald was a 17-year-old Chicago teenager and Illinois resident who was shot 16 times by then officer Jason Van Dyke on October 20, 2014 and died as a result of his injuries; and

WHEREAS, Jason Van Dyke was charged with one count of second degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery and found guilty by a jury of his peers in the atrocious murder of teenager Laquan McDonald; and

WHEREAS, In the aftermath of this tragedy, on December 7, 2015, former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the practices and conduct that resulted in the death of Laquan McDonald; and

WHEREAS, On January 13, 2017, the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney's Office Northern District of Illinois released a joint report that disclosed incidents, patterns, and practices deemed to be in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS, There has been a longstanding cyclical, painful, and robustly uncomfortable history of trauma and broken trust between our communities and law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald's inalienable right to exist was prematurely snatched from him before he could truly live in its potential; protecting that right is of paramount importance for every child in our state; and

WHEREAS, Laquan McDonald's civil rights were blatantly and inexplicably violated 16 times by Jason Van Dyke on October 20, 2014; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly has a vested interest in promoting and supporting mechanisms towards healing the wounds of this inhumane tragedy; and

WHEREAS, United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division consider and are committed to fostering bonds and creating safer and fairer communities, demonstrating dedication to equity in our federal judicial system, and challenging the constructs that allow for systemic violations of our civil and human rights; and

WHEREAS, No statute of limitations exist for federal offenses of civil rights violations that result in death; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to investigate and charge Jason Van Dyke for his multiple violations of the civil rights of Laquan McDonald.