Chicago releases video of cop shooting black teen
Chicago police on Tuesday released video footage of a veteran officer allegedly shooting 17-year-old Laquan MacDonald last year.
The dashboard camera recording apparently shows officer James Van Dyke, 37, firing 16 rounds at MacDonald during a confrontation on Chicago’s South Side in October 2014.
{mosads}The video shows McDonald jogging towards a police vehicle stopped in the middle of a Chicago highway.
Two officers — one of them allegedly Van Dyke — pull up in a separate car, leaping out with weapons drawn.
Van Dyke then appears to shoot McDonald, who rotates in nearly a full circle before collapsing limp on the ground.
Clouds of debris fly up from striking the pavement around the suspect, who looks as though he is convulsing.
An officer eventually runs up and kicks a knife out of McDonald’s hands.
At no point do any of the police officers administer medical aid on McDonald during the recording. He eventually stops stirring before the clip ends.
“The officer in this case took a young man’s life, and he’s going to have to account for his actions,” Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said in a press conference shortly before the video was made public, according to The Chicago Tribune.
“People have a right to be angry, people have a right to protest,” he added.
McCarthy called for calm now that the footage is available for public viewing.
“We knew this day was coming. We’ve been prepared for this day for quite some time,” he said.
“We are not predicting doom and gloom,” McCarthy added of the response. “We re predicting protests.”
Reports emerged earlier Tuesday that Van Dyke had been charged with first-degree murder.
The case is the first time in nearly 35 years that a Chicago office has been charged with first-degree murder in an on-duty shooting.
Van Dyke faces a minimum 20 years in prison if convicted.
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said late Tuesday that she announced the charges against the officer early due to the expected backlash toward the film.
“[It is] graphic, violent [and] chilling,” she said. “[It] no doubt will tear at the hearts of all Chicagoans.
“To watch a 17-year-old man die in such a violent manner is deeply disturbing,” she added.
The teen reportedly had PCP in his system and behaved erratically, refusing police orders to drop a 4-inch folding knife.
Van Dyke has argued he feared for his life during the confrontation. He has been on paid desk leave since the incident in 2014.
The veteran officer first joined the Chicago police department in 2001. He spent more than four years with a specialized task force there, according to court and police records.
His team aggressively policed neighborhoods experiencing surges in violent crimes. McCarthy has since disbanded the taskforce.
The Tribune said late Tuesday that most of Chicago’s police force is in uniform following the video’s release.
Detectives, tactical teams and officers normally in civilian clothing are now in uniform through Nov. 29, it added.
McCarthy said his department respects the right for peaceful demonstrations but would not allow any violent behavior.
“My mantra is going to be the same one that it always is, which is really simple,” he said.
“We’re going to facilitate and protect peoples’ First Amendment right to free speech and we’re going to be intolerant of criminal behavior,” McCarthy added.
McDonald’s family has called for harmony following the release of footage depicting their son’s death.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), who was President Obama’s first chief of staff, predicted that his city would avoid erupting into discord over the footage.
“[We will] rise to the moment,” he said. “This episode can be moment of understanding and learning.”
Updated at 7:30 p.m.
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