Convicted Chicago officer moved to Western Illinois jail

CHICAGO – The white Chicago police officer convicted of murder in the 2014 shooting death of black teenager Laquan McDonald has been moved to a Western Illinois jail and will remain there while he awaits sentencing.

Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos tells the Chicago Tribune that Jason Van Dyke arrived Tuesday afternoon at the jail in Rock Island, about 150 miles (240 kilometres) west of Chicago and along the Mississippi River. Bustos says Van Dyke will be in protective custody out of the jail’s general population.

High-profile detainees or inmates who are co-operating witnesses are often moved out of the Cook County Jail for their own safety as part of an agreement the jail has with other jails.

Van Dyke was taken into custody after a jury on Friday convicted him of second-degree murder and aggravated battery.

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This story has been correted to show that the sheriff’s first name is Gerry, not Berry.

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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com