Chicago police must release a dashcam video that shows the October 2014 fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white officer, a judge has ruled.
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The ruling comes one day after a letter from the IL attorney general’s office asking for the release of the video surfaced. According to those who have seen it, the video shows Laquan McDonald, 17, walking away from police when one officer opened fire.
Police have confirmed that McDonald, who was armed with a knife, was shot 16 times. He noted that McDonald’s mother doesn’t want the video released, because she fears it could spark violence in her Chicago neighborhood similar to the riots that erupted in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, after police-involved deaths of black residents.
In April, Chicago agreed to pay $5 million in civil damages to McDonald’s family, which had been exploring filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Judge Franklin Valderrama refused to indefinitely hold off on the release of the video, but said he wouldn’t make it public until next Wednesday, giving the city time to file an appeal with the Illinois Appellate Court.
Witnesses contest police reports that McDonald, who is black, lunged at authorities aggressively, prompting the shooting. Police claim that McDonald refused orders to drop a small knife and later began approaching officers.
Data recently released by Mandel Legal Aid Clinic of the University of Chicago Law School and a nonprofit journalism group called The Invisible Institute showed thousands of citizen complaints against officers have resulted in little discipline against the officers.
The head of the Fraternal Order of Police told “Chicago Tonight” exclusively this evening that he is anxious about the release and how it may affect the ongoing investigations into the police officer, especially if the case goes to trial. The city has resisted, saying that it should not be released until all investigations are completed.
Smith and his lawyers said the ruling was a win not just for their case, but for all Foia cases.
The attorney for a Chicago police officer who fatally shot a black teenager says he’s concerned for the safety of the officer if the dash camera video of the incident is released.
“Like any mother, she doesn’t want to see the execution of her son over and over again on YouTube and television”.
In August, independent journalist Brandon Smith filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court accusing the Chicago Police Department of violating the Illinois Freedom of Information Act in declining to release video of the shooting.
The Emanuel administration has argued the video needs to be kept from the public’s view while the investigations are ongoing, and the mayor has pledged to release it once the cases are closed.
“We need an explanation as to why Officer Jason Van Dyke, who killed Mr. McDonald, is still on the payroll of the city of Chicago and has not been charged with a crime?”
According to Steve Patton, the city’s corporation counsel, the dashcam video supports the family’s contention that McDonald’s shooting was unjustified. Officer Van Dyke may possibly be indicted next week.
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But the Chicago Tribune reports the video allegedly shows the officer firing several shots into McDonald as he lay on the ground.
