Chicago police released dash cam video showing a former Chicago police officer shooting and killing an unarmed black teenager.
Officer Jason Van Dyke, 37, turned himself in on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was charged with 1st degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald last October.
A judge ordered Chicago police to release the damning dash cam video by Wednesday. The city had initially refused to release the video for over a year.
The video shows officers standing in the street while a young black male walks down the middle of the street. The youth falls and rolls over on one side after he is apparently shot. His body jerks as he is hit 16 times by rounds fired from a cop’s gun.
An officer is seen walking over to the body and kicking something out of the boy’s hand. Polcie say McDonald was carrying a small pocket knife.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel held a news conference late Tuesday afternoon to plead for calm in advance of the video’s release. “Jason Van Dyke does not represent the police department,” he said.
But Chicago’s civic leaders scoffed at the mayor’s comments. They note that Officer Van Dyke was on desk duty for the past year.
Ministers also mocked the mayor for coming to them to ask for their help.
Laquan’s family asked the city to remain calm and to honor Laquan.
“We ask for calm in Chicago. No one understands the anger more than us, but if you choose to speak out, we urge you to be peaceful,” they said. “Don’t resort to violence in Laquan’s name. Let his legacy be better than that.”
The city of Chicago paid the family an out-of-court settlement of $5 million.
