Chicago officer convicted of murder resigns from department

CHICAGO – A white Chicago police officer convicted of killing black teenager Laquan McDonald has resigned from the department.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says Jason Van Dyke formally resigned last week.

The department moved to fire Van Dyke for shooting the 17-year-old McDonald in 2014. The process that began in 2015 was placed on hold while his criminal case was pending.

Max Caproni of the Chicago Police Board, which handles police firing and disciplinary hearings, says after the guilty verdict, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson filed an additional argument that Van Dyke’s conviction cost him the certification required to be an officer. Caproni says Van Dyke’s attorneys informed the board of his resignation and that he won’t collect a pension.

Van Dyke is serving a nearly seven-year prison sentence for second-degree murder and aggravated battery.