Video: Chicago Police Officer Shooting To Death 17 Year Old Laquan McDonald As He Walked Away

Under court order, the City of Chicago has just released this controversial and highly graphic video showing the death of a 17-year old by a police officer.

On October 20, 2014, 17-year old Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times in just seconds by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. McDonald was holding a small, reportedly 4-inch knife. Van Dyke is white, McDonald was Black.

A court ordered the City of Chicago to release the dashcam video of the shooting (below). Following that order, Van Dyke was arrested and charged with first degree murder.

“Chicago police fought hard to keep the dash cam video secret,” ThinkProgress’ Aviva Shen reports. “A $5 million settlement with McDonald’s family was intended to bury the video. A manager at a Burger King near the shooting also told reporters in May that the police had deleted more than an hour of footage from his surveillance cameras.”

“The entire shooting took about 15 seconds, and McDonald was lying on the ground for 13 of them,” Shen notes.

Protests are expected tonight and likely will continue as the video is seen.

UPDATE: Prosecutors: Cop Who Killed Laquan McDonald Fired 16 Shots And Was Reloading, But Told To Stop

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel held a press conference late Tuesday afternoon urging calm and suggesting this is an opportunity to build bridges.

“Some worry the images could lead to the kind of unrest seen in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, and other cities after young black men were slain by police or died in police custody,” the Associated Press reports. “Prominent clergy members are calling for peaceful protests and civil disobedience as the city prepares to release dash-cam video of the 2014 shooting of McDonald.”

McDonald’s family said they did not want the video released.

DNAinfo Chicago reports Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said Tuesday the video “is graphic, it is violent, it is chilling. … To watch a 17-year-old young man die in such a violent manner is deeply disturbing, and I have absolutely no doubt that this video will tear at the hearts of all Chicagoans.”

The video, which we caution is graphic, shows McDonald walking in the street, away from police officers.

He is shot while many feet away from the officers, he falls to the ground as Officer Van Dyke apparently continues to shoot him. At one point smoke can be seen rising from McDonald’s body, which continues to move. Aside from approaching McDonald to kick away the knife, in the video at no time does any officer approach him to see if he is still breathing.

While we believe this video is important, has strong news value, and should be available for viewing, it is disturbing and graphic. NCRM has chosen to include the video into this report, but strongly caution our readers to take time to decide if they wish to view it. 

 

Image: Screenshot via DNAinfo Chicago/YouTube