Dash Cam Video Shows Teen Shot by Chicago Police Officer
— -- The dash cam video showing a Chicago police officer allegedly shooting a teenager to death has been made public for the first time.
Video of the fatal Oct. 20, 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, who later died at a hospital, was shown this evening a day ahead of the court-ordered deadline and as reported by ABC-owned station WLS-TV.
The video, obtained by WLS, shows the 17-year-old walking down the middle of a Chicago street as he is confronted by several police officers at a distance.
The video was taken from the dash camera of a responding police car. The WLS version of the video contains faint audio, but the Chicago Police Superintendent, Garry McCarthy, said the footage police were releasing contained no sound.
There are several instances where puffs of smoke can be seen coming from McDonald's body, as he is on the ground. He was later declared dead at the hospital.
"These clouds of smoke were later identified as clouds of debris caused by fired bullets," according to court documents filed by the State's Attorney's office earlier today.
Jason Van Dyke, the police officer who allegedly shot McDonald a total of 16 times in 14 to 15 seconds, was arrested today and charged with first-degree murder.
McDonald's family issued a statement earlier today reiterating that they "would prefer" that it not be made public and urging "calm" when and if it was made public.
McCarthy said Van Dyke was stripped of his police powers immediately and was no longer being paid by the department.
"Every day in this city, you see thousands of officers performing admirably and making a difference of the lives of the people of Chicago," McCarthy said.
"We are not the least bit pleased about this."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel echoed McCarthy's sentiments: "This moment does not speak to who we are and what we can become."
