Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014, was reportedly attacked shortly after being transferred to a Connecticut facility. According to the Chicago Tribune, Van Dyke was beaten inside his prison cell.
“We are petrified and very worried about Jason’s safety,” Van Dyke’s wife Tiffany said in an emailed statement to reporters. “Jason wants to serve his time and does not want any trouble. We are hoping prison officials will take quick action to rectify this situation.”
Tiffany Van Dyke and her attorney allege they didn’t know Jason was being transferred from Illinois to the Danbury Federal Correctional Institution. Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Reportedly, he could be released in as little as three.
The state attorney general and special prosecutors on Monday announced they filed a petition with the Illinois Supreme Court to challenge Van Dyke’s sentence, which was handed down by Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan.
Despite being found guilty of 16 counts of aggravated battery–one count for each time Van Dyke shot the teen–he wasn’t charged for it. Each count carries a minimum of six years in jail. When combined Van Dyke could’ve faced 96 years in prison.
After Van Dyke’s conviction but prior to his sentencing, he was held in isolation at a Quad Cities-area jail. The decision was part of a Cook County arrangement for high-profile, dangerous or inmates cooperating with authorities in cases.
