Chicago activist instrumental in release of video of white police officer fatally shooting Laquan McDonald running for office
The community activist who filed a freedom of information act request for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to release the dashcam video of the fatal police shooting of Black teenager Laquan McDonald has announced plans to run for City Council.
William Calloway will run against Leslie Hairston, a five-term incumbent for 5th Ward, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Calloway was one of two men who filed the FOIA request that led to a judge ordering Emanuel to release the video which showed Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke firing 16 shots at McDonald – many of which were after the teen lie defenseless on the ground.
Last month, Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.
Calloway said “justice was delivered” after the verdict was read, but signaled that his efforts wouldn’t stop there.
“No black elected official showed up for us. It was just us. Our generation showed up,” Calloway said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The City Council that voted for the settlements have to be removed…Today, justice was delivered for Laquan McDonald, but it doesn’t stop there… These other alderman have to go. No black alderman showed up for this,” Calloway added in the article.
Calloway initially ran for state representative in the 25th district, and lost that bid.
