Police have finally released official dashcam footage of Laquan McDonald being fatally shot 16 times by a police officer as he was walking away from a chaotic scene involving several police officers. Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder earlier today in regards to the incident, and a Chicago prosecutor had this to say about the incident.
I’ve been a prosecutor for nearly 30 years. I have personally investigated and prosecuted numerous cases of police misconduct and public corruption, I’ve been involved in hundreds of murder investigations and trials, and I’ve seen some of the most violent and graphic evidence and crime scene photos that you can only imagine. To watch a 17-year-old young man die in such a violent manner is simply disturbing and I have absolutely no doubt that this video will tear at the hearts of all Chicagoans.
The dash cam footage clearly shows McDonald walking away, and not towards Van Dyke, but his attorney has continued to argue that his client did not “act inappropriately” during the incident.
Officers were on the scene responding to a 911 call that someone was stealing cars on the south side of the city. McDonald was armed with a knife, but Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel maintains that Van Dyke violated McDonald’s trust “at every level.”
