Chicago officer unjustified in killing black teen, prosecutor says

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. SEPTEMBER 17, 2018 / 6:02 AM / UPDATED 17 HOURS AGO

Chicago officer unjustified in killing black teen, prosecutor says

Robert Chiarito, Suzannah Gonzales
4 MIN READ

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The white police officer who shot to death a black teen in 2014 fired 16 shots without justification, prosecutors told a Chicago jury on Monday, as the trial began in a decisive case for race relations and policing in the United States’ third-largest city.

“What he saw that night was a black boy with the audacity to ignore the police,” special prosecutor Joseph McMahon said during his opening statement of the officer, Jason Van Dyke. “Not a single shot was necessary.”

Van Dyke’s defense lawyer, Daniel Herbert, portrayed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald as a dangerous drug user who caused the officer to fear for his safety.

“McDonald was an out-of-control criminal running with a knife,” Herbert told jurors. “What happened to Laquan McDonald is a tragedy. It’s a tragedy, not a murder.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chicago-police/chicago-officer-unjustified-in-killing-black-teen-prosecutor-says-idUSKCN1LX0ZV

[lunasun]

1. Started shooting within seconds of arriving on the scene where CPD was already present- 16 times

Last edited Tue Sep 18, 2018, 12:25 PM - Edit history (2)

Chicago police officers trailed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald for more than half a mile, keeping their distance and buying time.
Even after McDonald punctured the tire of a squad car with a small folding knife, no one threatened to shoot him. Walking slowly down Pulaski Road, McDonald was pinned in by a construction fence to his right and surrounded by a half-dozen squad cars and 10 armed police officers. There was nowhere for him to go.

“We were trying to buy time to have a Taser,” Officer Joseph McElligott testified Monday in a hushed Cook County courtroom. “(McDonald) didn’t make any direct movement at me, and I felt like my partner was protected for the most part inside the vehicle. … We were just trying to be patient.”

In addition to McElligott’s testimony, Officer Dora Fontaine told the jury she arrived at the scene seconds before Van Dyke opened fire. She testified McDonald made no attempt to stab anyone nor did he make any aggressive movements. She heard shots, saw McDonald spin and fall to the ground. Van Dyke was still firing at McDonald as he lay in the street, she said.

Fontaine never drew her weapon.
http://www.latimes.com/ct-met-laquan-mcdonald-jason-van-dyke-trial-a-20180917-story.html
..........................................& a second reply about the shooting
This has to stop here or it will happen elsewhere . You can't walk out of a car and start shooting when other police have been on the scene and are asking for backup no excuse don't let it come to your town
Don't forget that the police tape was held back for a year until they were sued
During that time before the release he was still working! No officers came forward to the public

Also,Emanuel was in a heated race for mayor and almost didn't make it. This would have been exposed before the election . He did nothing for a yr. then when the tape had to be released because
Chicago-based nonprofit journalism organization, files a Freedom of Information Act request.then finally he blamed the police chief and fired him, even though he had saw the tape and knew about it he didn't do anything until right before the public release .

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, battled for months in court to keep the dashboard camera video under wraps along with Emanuel's blessing

That's not what is on trial and never will be , but there are so many wrongs about this case already so much injustice, this link below covers much of it.

I do not mean to take away from the present trial the OP covers which is finally actually happening . Just added info

https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/01/us/chicago-police-shooting-explainer/index.html
The investigation into McDonald's shooting was incomplete, the same reason cited by the city as to why the dashboard camera video couldn't be released. The McDonald family had not filed any lawsuit against the city. The $5 million award was in advance of any legal action from the victim's family.
"I think people were looking out for their own skin," says Alderman Brookins. "People in the Police Department were looking to not charge the police officer."
CNN made numerous calls seeking comment from the city and the Chicago Police Department. They went unanswered.

[safeinOhio]

2. Part of the Police Culture....

.."Three Chicago Police Department officers were indicted in June 2017 for conspiring to cover up McDonald’s shooting. They have not yet been tried." Just like gang members. Why you can't have cops investigate cops, like the situation in Dallas now.

[lunasun]

3. And the shooting happened in 2014!!!!