He heads toward some police cars with flashing lights, then turns away, continuing to walk. The police officer in the 2014 Chicago shooting, Jason Van Dyke, has been charged with murder and jailed. The city needs them; but it also needs a better department.
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A court ordered the city to release the police auto camera video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald by officer Jason Van Dyke.
Van Dyke – who was denied bond on Tuesday – was the only officer to open fire. But the number filed against Van Dyke was high compared with other officers.
(Cook County Sheriff’s Office via AP). Crowds remained on Michigan Avenue late into the night, marching and chanting.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Officer Van Dyke is being held without bail.
Alvarez, a Democrat who is expected to face a tough re-election fight next year, has defended the timing of the charges, saying she chose to charge the officer weeks ago but moved up the public announcement because of the imminent release of the videotape.
Video filmed by Ahmed Shihab-Eldin during one of the protests yesterday shows a young man staring down a police officer for a total of 25 seconds, and he doesn’t blink once.
Bernie Sanders said the death was a reminder of the need for criminal justice reform.
The release of the video led to protests, largely peaceful, in Chicago last night. “The question is, why are they not being charged?” “And I don’t believe the force was necessary”.
The Urban League of Chicago joined in the call for a federal investigation, alleging a pattern of “discriminatory harassment” against black people. At least one person he arrested was later awarded $350,000 in damages in a lawsuit.
Malcolm London, 22, was charged with hitting an officer. CPD says officers responsible for maintaining their dashcams are being retrained to avoid this. After a judge’s order, the investigations were quickly wrapped up and a charge announced.
“People have the right to be angry”.
Prosecutors did not explain why their office recommended dropping the charge.
“A key thing to remember is there hasn’t been a violent protest or a riot in Chicago in 40 years, so not many people expect it to happen now, even though the video is kind of horrific”.
Protesters also demand a meeting with Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. “They’ve asked for calm and for those who choose to speak out to do it peacefully”. “The mothers I met recently in Chicago are right: we can not go on like this”, she added.
The fears of unrest stem from long-standing tensions between Chicago police and its minority communities, partly due to the department’s reputation for brutality, particularly involving black people.
One of those arrested was 38-year-old Dean M. Vanriper of Murrieta, California.
Police have said Laquan had a knife.
Chicago released the first footage of the shooting Tuesday.
The officer was treated for injuries that weren’t life-threatening and released. It was not immediately clear whether either man already had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The NAACP said that McDonald’s family and the community deserve action.
More protests are scheduled for the week, including a boycott from the city’s main shopping district on Black Friday, the Times reported.
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Protests and rallies continue throughout the city of Chicago today, as the video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald has gone viral.
