LGBT Groups Call for Justice as Chicago Cop Charged With Murder

Wednesday had been marked as the day Chicago officials had to release graphic dashcam video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald’s final moments and – because of that – the day the city could erupt. White Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot a black teenager 16 times previous year, was charged with first-degree murder Tuesday, hours before the ci…

Demonstrators chanted “16 shots”, “don’t shoot” and held banners reading “Laquan needs justice”, “stop police brutality” and “black lives matter”.

The Chicago Tribune reports (http://trib.in/1IhGV0f ) that parents have received a letter from Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson assuring them the video won’t be shown in schools.

Protester Quovadis Green says: “You can not kill our children and expect us to be quiet any longer”. Two 18-year-old Chicago men, Max McKune and Omari Ferrell, were charged with resisting police officers. President Barack Obama, who hails from Chicago and began his political career there, said on Facebook he was “deeply disturbed” by the video but added, he was “personally grateful to the people of my hometown for keeping protests peaceful”.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton weighed in, saying the McDonald family and Chicago residents “deserve justice and accountability”.

“No one understands the anger more than us but if you choose to speak out, we urge you to be peaceful”, they said in a statement released to local media.

Members of the Black Caucus in Chicago, including 21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins, are calling for a no confidence vote for Garry McCarthy, Chicago Police superintendent.

The Urban League of Chicago joined in the call for an investigation, alleging a pattern of “discriminatory harassment” against black people.

The news station noted that audio appears to be missing from the video released by the police department.

The officers are seen emerging from their vehicle and drawing their weapons while advancing toward McDonald, who continues to move away.

Nearly immediately, Van Dyke appears to fire from close range.

In Chicago, protest groups are expected to stage more demonstrations in the days ahead, including one at City Hall scheduled for Wednesday and another seeking to block the main city’s shopping thoroughfare, Michigan Avenue, during Friday’s holiday spending bonanza.

McDonald was shot 16 times in October 2014 by officer Jason Van Dyke. On Wednesday, authorities dismissed a felony charge against Malcolm X. London, 22, a Chicago poet and activist accused of striking a police officer during Tuesday’s protests.

The vehicle with the camera continues to roll forward until the officers are out of the frame.

JUDY WOODRUFF: At a news conference last night, Mayor Rahm Emanuel struck a similar tone, and said that the shooting of Laquan McDonald must be an opportunity for the community to heal and come together.

Brandon Smith is the freelance journalist whose lawsuit pressed for the release of the video that showed the shooting.

Protesters took to the streets, occasionally blocking intersections and then moving on. Police say he had a stun gun and a knife.

But she insisted that she made a decision “weeks ago” to charge Van Dyke and the video’s ordered release did not influence that. They said a 3-inch knife with its blade folded into the handle was recovered from the scene.

After announcing the existence of the video last December and called for its release, Kalven obtained a copy of McDonald’s autopsy in February, which contradicted the official story that McDonald had died of a single gunshot to the chest.