On November 30th, Officer Jason Van Dyke was released from Cook County’s custody after his father posted $150,000 cashier’s bond. Hours earlier, a Cook County judge viewed the police dashboard camera video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald, 17, before setting bail at $1.5 million for Van Dyke.

“ Even though the shooting was brutal, I feel as if the bond should not have been set. I actually feel as if he should of got a life sentence for murdering a young innocent man. I feel as if it was unfair to take a human’s life,” said junior Samuel Ferguson.

Van Dyke was captured on a video that was released last week of him shooting  McDonald, 16 times. The case marks the first time a Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty fatality in nearly 35 years.

“Well it is well known that people of all colors throughout this country sell and use drugs at the same rate, but as the police it’s up to the discretion of who they decide to target,” said English teacher Mr. Waller.

A couple of days before the case, people were downtown protesting non-stop. There were people blocking streets and stores during the Black Friday sales. People were not only mad at the fact that Van Dyke killed him, but at the fact that this is not the first time this has happened.

“Well it affects mainly my students because all my students are children of color and I do think that people in Chicago, especially Black and Latino people have experienced some unfair practices by the police. I support the people who are protesting and also I believe that suppressing the video for a whole year was wrong and it was only for political motivations,” said Waller.

From information people have seen, heard and experienced, they feel as if they are no longer safe. People are suppose to depend and be protected by the police, but recently people have only heard of them killing young innocent children and not being punished for it.

“ Well this situation affects me somehow because as an young African American male, my life isn’t safe in these streets by gang related things or by police,” said Ferguson.

Now Laquan McDonald and others who suffered the same situation have been laid to rest over something that could have been handled a different way.