The wife of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, the man charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, said her recent job offer was pulled because of her husband's high-profile case, but authorities say that isn't the case.
Tiffany Van Dyke was set to begin training last week as a Cook County Sheriff's Deputy, but said her offer was suddenly taken away without explanation.
"All I want to do is support my family financially," Tiffany Van Dyke said in a statement. "Right now, we are really struggling and this job would have been a big help. I spent almost a year undergoing tests and interviews for this job. I was even told to buy my uniforms and to give notice to my previous employers. To have it taken away without explanation is very disappointing."
The sheriff's office denied Tiffany Van Dyke's allegations saying she "has not been terminated," but the office is conducting "a more in-depth background investigation" in an effort to ensure her safety.
"I understand working as a correctional officer is a difficult job," Tiffany Van Dyke said in her statement. "But I believe I am a strong person and I would be able to handle it, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, they didn't want to give me a chance."
New charges were filed against Officer Jason Van Dyke last week. The Chicago police officer who fatally shot 17-year-old McDonald in 2014 is now facing 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, one charge for each shot fired at the teenager.
Van Dyke has already been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of McDonald, which sparked nationwide protests after dashcam video appeared to show the teen walking away from authorities when he was killed.
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Attorneys for Van Dyke have previously filed motions to dismiss murder charges against the officer, saying a grand jury "hastily" indicted him based on false information and that the shooting was in fact "justified."
