Chicago Mayor Emanuel meets with federal officials about police

At a news conference Thursday, the retired officers joined the ranks of those who have been voicing distrust of leaders including Mayor Rahm Emanuel since last month’s release of the video of the McDonald shooting.

MURDER/INTENT TO KILL/INJURE WITH FIREARM: According to the first charge of the grand jury, Officer Van Dyke, without legal justification, intentionally or knowingly shot and killed McDonald while armed with a firearm. Following the release of the video of Chicago Police Department officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, many in the city have been calling for him to resign his post. Prosecutors say Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times as the teen walked away from police carrying a small knife. A few people confronted Van Dyke as he left the court Friday, shouting profanities and pounding on the black pickup truck in which he departed. Herbert told the judge that Van Dyke could not get a fair trial in Cook County due to the high profile of the case. Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a rare apology and ousted his police superintendent and head of the Independent Police Review Authority.

Van Dyke spent nearly a week in jail before he was freed November 30 on $1.5 million bond. Federal officials are meeting with Chicago police Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, as the U.S. Department of Justice launches a civil rights probe triggered by the shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer.

Hours before the video was released, prosecutors charged Van Dyke with first-degree murder.

Dash cam video captured the incident and was made public last month – more than a year after the incident.

The seven-count indictment against Van Dyke came as no surprise to his attorney, Daniel Herbert, who said he’s still weighing whether to request a change of venue based on the massive amount of pretrial publicity, much of which he believes has come from City Hall.

Van Dyke’s lawyer has said the veteran officer feared for his life when he shot McDonald on a Southwest Side street in October 2014.

A second protest is planned to be held outside the courthouse where Van Dyke is scheduled to make his appearance Friday.