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Chicago Erupts in Protests After Video of Laquan McDonald Shot by Police Released
Chicago erupted into protests Tuesday night following the release of video footage showing the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer. Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago’s loop, clogging intersections and chanting “16 shots” in reference to the total number of shots fired into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Officer Jason Van-Dyke.
The protests were relatively peaceful in comparison to the violent unrest that unfolded in Ferguson and Baltimore, however, there were five arrests related to incidents of resisting arrest and assaulting police officers. According to CNN, the city had been preparing for protests after a judge ruled the video must be released no later than Wednesday. Freelance journalist Brandon Smith filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department over the summer to make the footage public.
The dashboard cam footage captured police as they responded to a call of a man wielding a knife on October 20, 2014. In the video, when the police car filming the incident arrives on scene, McDonald is seen walking away from police in the middle of a street with the apparent knife in hand. Then seconds later you see him spin around and fall to the ground after being shot, despite never seeming to threaten officers. Van-Dyke, who was reportedly the only officer to fire shots at him, then continued to fire shots at the teen while he was lying on the ground. According to the coroner’s autopsy report, only two out of the 16 shots could be linked to when McDonald was standing.
@HildebrandtSam: Autopsy diagram for Laquan McDonald released by Cook County Med Examiners Office #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/05p4GY5pS3
— Sam Hildebrandt (@HildebrandtSam) November 24, 2015
You can watch a portion of the video footage below.
Warning: Contains Graphic Material
Officer Van-Dyke, 37, turned himself into the authorities early Tuesday and was charged with first-degree murder in the death of McDonald. According to Vox, civilians have filed a total of 18 complaints against him since 2001, but he was never disciplined. He is currently being held without bond, and claims he fired his gun “in fear of his own life.” But news of the officer’s arrest didn’t stop hundreds of people from flooding Chicago’s streets in protest.
Here are some photos of last night’s protests shared on Twitter.
#LaquanMcDonald Eisenhower Expressway blockage pic.twitter.com/hpYDUHFMm1 — Sam Charles (@samjcharles) November 25, 2015
I wonder if he ever dreamed he’d see his name in lights. Certainly not like this. Rest in power, #LaquanMcDonald. pic.twitter.com/RuALBuahZE — Ava DuVernay (@AVAETC) November 25, 2015
Activists march thru Loop after release of #LaquanMcDonald shooting video. Brief scuffles, mainly peaceful. pic.twitter.com/tuIvL3ubXT — The Chicago Reporter (@ChicagoReporter) November 25, 2015
Aerial view of Chicago protesters blocking traffic on I-290 via @ABC #LaquanMcDonald. Live: https://t.co/e7ex0g3Qip pic.twitter.com/Ddp5nfoRsf — Brittany Levine (@brittanylevine) November 25, 2015
Prominent Chicago activist and protest organizer Malcolm London, 22, was one of the five people arrested during the protests. He is being charged with one count of felony assault, after police say he hit an officer in the 100 block of East Balbo Avenue near Grant Park. As a result #FreeMalcolmLondon was trending nationally on Wednesday as people called for his release.
.@MalcolmLondon calls for the firing of police superintendent Garry McCarthy. #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/42MDpQ0lp2 — Kelly Hayes (@MsKellyMHayes) November 25, 2015
The city is currently bracing for more protests as backlash over the footage ramps up. As for the McDonald family, the Chicago city council awarded them a $5 million settlement in April over his death. Now they are urging Chicagoans to react peacefully instead of resorting to violence.
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