Chicago Police Release Dashcam Video Of Officer Shooting Laquan McDonald

Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder on Tuesday, becoming the first Chicago police officer to receive that charge for an on-duty fatality in the past 35 years, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Prosecutors say Officer Jason Van Dyke started shooting as he got out of his squad vehicle and didn’t stop until he started reloading and another officer told him to “hold fire”.

“The officer in this case took a young man’s life and he’s going to have to take accountability for his actions”, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a press conference on Tuesday. “They do not have right to commit criminal acts”, Supt. The video was released after a judge ordered the footage be released to the public. (You can watch the video of the shooting here.) Van Dyke’s partner did not shoot McDonald, who was 12 to 15 feet away.

Van Dyke has said the teen lunged at him with a knife. The mayor believes this time can build bridges between races and create an understanding.

Van Dyke has been on administrative duty while state and federal prosecutors investigated the shooting.

Protesters quickly gathered on the streets following both the officer’s arrest and the video’s release. The last strike, which was shot around 13 seconds later, caused McDonald’s body to jerk and arms to move slightly while he stayed on the ground. It shows the 17-year-old McDonald walking down the middle of the street before his encounter with the police.

Note: This video is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. McDonald was holding a small, reportedly 4-inch knife. Dan Herbert, an attorney for Officer Van Dyke, claimed the police officer, a 14-year police veteran, thought the killing was justified due to the fact that he feared for his safety. It has been literally decades since a Chicago policeman has been indicted for fatally shooting someone while the officer was on the job, says CNN.

McDonald’s family issued a statement earlier today reiterating that they “would prefer” that it not be made public and urging “calm” when and if it was made public. The city and the McDonald family in April reached a $5 million settlement, which barred the family’s attorney from releasing the video.