Protests ensue in the streets of Chicago following the release of dash-cam footage from the October 2014 shooting and killing, by the hands of former officer Jason Van Dyke, of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. With the video’s release, a group of protesters began marching, chanting “16 shots (the number of times the Black teen had been shot)” and “We got to fight back,” according to CNN.
On Tuesday [Nov. 24], Dyke was charged with first-degree murder, and currently being held on bond.
18 and up, watch the graphic footage down bottom.
JaaiR (JR): Twitter | Instagram | Periscope
While many would like to make comparisons to other instances in which a Black teen was killed by a White officer, the difference is that McDonald was armed, and his toxicology reports describe PCP being in his system; a huge difference is that this was all caught on film. The reason Dyke has been charged.
Dyke, who turned himself in, had been working for the city up until that point. However, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez says that it’s his time to pay.
“It is my determination that this defendant’s actions — of shooting Laquan McDonald when he did not pose an immediate threat of great bodily harm or death, and his subsequent actions of shooting Laquan McDonald while he lay on the ground after previously being struck by gunfire — were not justified and they were not a proper use of deadly force by this police officer,” Alvarez said to announce charges against the officer.
“I believe this is a moment that can build bridges of understanding rather than become a barrier of misunderstanding. I understand that the people will be upset and will want to protest when they see this video,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “We as a city must rise to this moment.”
Check out the gallery for more.
#IJS: Damn shame. Plus, watch footage of the protests of Chicago Tribune reporter Tony Briscoe’s Periscope here.
