SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FAMILY OF LAQUAN MCDONALD APPROVES OF RECENT PRECKWINKLE AD

Pastor Marvin Hunter (pictured), great uncle of Laquan McDonald, recently held a press conference to address questions about his position on mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle’s first campaign ad which highlights her role in publicizing his great nephew’s autopsy report.
Pastor Marvin Hunter (pictured), great uncle of Laquan McDonald, recently held a press conference to address questions about his position on mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle’s first campaign ad which highlights her role in publicizing his great nephew’s autopsy report.

Spokesperson For The Family Of Laquan McDonald Approves Of Recent Preckwinkle Ad

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

A press conference was recently held at Grace Memorial Baptist Church, 1457 S. Kenneth Ave. by Pastor Marvin Hunter, great-uncle of Laquan McDonald, to discuss his thoughts on mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle’s first campaign ad concerning her role in helping to reveal Laquan McDonald’s autopsy report.

In the ad, Preckwinkle’s role in the Laquan McDonald investigation is highlighted. The ad indicates that Preckwinkle, as the Cook County Board President, used the power of her office, which oversees the Medical Examiner’s Office, to make McDonald’s autopsy report public by giving it to a reporter who was investigating the incident, according to a press release from the Toni Preckwinkle for Chicago campaign announcing the ad.

Images of Preckwinkle, the current Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, and images of McDonald’s autopsy report make up the visual element of the ad and are accompanied by a voice-over.

“Sixteen shots, nine in the back. Facts that the police and city officials tried to bury. Facts that Toni Preckwinkle brought to light. It was Toni who made sure Laquan McDonald’s autopsy went public. It was Toni who called for the dashcam footage to be released. Toni demanded the police chief be fired and helped oust the state’s attorney for not doing her job. Toni Preckwinkle, a Mayor who does what’s right,” the voiceover states in Preckwinkle’s first mayoral campaign ad.

During the press conference, Hunter stated that he is thankful for Preckwinkle’s efforts in uncovering the details of his great nephew’s death.

“There has been a lot of talk about the ad that President Toni Preckwinkle put out for her campaign for Mayor of the City of Chicago and the question is what do I think about it and what does the family think about it? After talking with our family and being the spokesman for the family we decided that our message would be that we are grateful for the commercial,” said Hunter.

Because of this new ad, Hunter said that he and his family now know the role that Preckwinkle played in holding the city accountable for the death of Laquan McDonald and the eventual conviction of Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer who was found guilty of shooting and killing McDonald.

“It puts us in a position where we know now that all the elected officials in the City of Chicago did not fold and they were concerned about what was happening to our family and other families just like ours that have suffered from gun violence and mistreatment from police officers in the City of Chicago. We were not aware of all the help or the work that the President was doing during the time of the Laquan McDonald murder however we are thankful and grateful that she was doing what she did,” said Hunter.

Hunter went on to say that there is still work to be done and he hopes to have the same amount of support at the upcoming sentencing hearing for Jason Van Dyke to ensure that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

But other mayoral candidates weren’t as pleased with the ad and even went as far as to call it a distraction. “Toni Preckwinkle proves she is not ready to lead,” said mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot. “Toni Preckwinkle’s attempt to erase the tireless organizing of thousands of activists, young people, lawyers, investigative

journalists, and everyday Chicagoans who rose up to demand justice is deeply concerning. It’s also concerning that Toni Preckwinkle would feature footage that can re-victimize friends, family members, and survivors of trauma,” she said.

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