Protests are beginning in Chicago over a video released of a police man shooting to death a teen who had been threatening them with a knife.
Watch below:
The fact that the city of Chicago covered up the video of this execution is disgusting. Rahm Emmanuel needs to resign. #LaquanMcDonald
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) November 25, 2015
Yes, there is *definitely* nothing wrong in a police department where officers think it’s okay to unload a magazine on a suspect.
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) November 25, 2015
The reason the video is so bad and the reason people might be a little angry is because one of your officers put 16 bullet into a 17 yo
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 24, 2015
From the Daily Beast:
Laquan McDonald was lying in the fetal position when Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke pumped more than a dozen bullets into the 17-year-old body’s body, killing him.
After being turned around by the first shots, McDonald hits the ground. Puffs of smoke can be seen rising from his body as bullets penetrate and strike the pavement behind him. At the end of the 16-second ordeal, Van Dyke’s partner kicks away a knife McDonald was carrying, which was the only thing that prevented Van Dyke from reloading his weapon.
This is tantamount to first-degree murder, according to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who charged Van Dyke on Tuesday.
On the dashcam video, McDonald first comes into the view while he’s jogging in the middle of a southwest Chicago street. Van Dyke and his partner exit their police SUV, and Alvarez said that Van Dyke began firing six seconds later.
Investigators could only attribute two of the 16 shots fired by Van Dyke as striking McDonald while he was standing. The rest — as many as 14 —struck McDonald as he lay wounded on the ground.
After emptying a 15-round magazine plus one bullet in the chamber, Van Dyke began to reload before being called of [sic] by his partner, who approached McDonald and kicked the knife away.
And it looks like the protests just begun:
Onward down Roosevelt #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/2DvQTcj9JA
— Dawn Rhodes (@rhodes_dawn) November 25, 2015
BREAKING: Scores of protestors lining Chicago streets after video is released of a CPD Officer firing on a black teen 16 times.
— N. Jerzy Fire Alert (@NJerzyFireAlert) November 25, 2015
More from social media:
Circling up at Roosevelt/State. #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/1kf2kcbkfU
— Dawn Rhodes (@rhodes_dawn) November 25, 2015
"16 shots, 16 shots" #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/JcSzV8jezY
— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) November 25, 2015
Black activists from several local organization meeting ahead of #LaquanMcDonald video release pic.twitter.com/p1qcpm47N3
— Dawn Rhodes (@rhodes_dawn) November 24, 2015
Activists march down Roosevelt #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/CzRt5Io8A7
— Dawn Rhodes (@rhodes_dawn) November 25, 2015
Chicago community reacts to the Chicago Police Dept. dash cam video that shows Laquan McDonald being shot #Chicago pic.twitter.com/NM8y7yssmX
— Chicago Trib Photo (@ChiTribPhoto) November 25, 2015
#LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/c9eFwitSgN
— Tony Briscoe (@_TonyBriscoe) November 25, 2015
This seems like a bad idea:
Protesters enclose following squad cars #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/ORVeJ8sOqp
— Tony Briscoe (@_TonyBriscoe) November 25, 2015
There are a lot of conservatives who are outraged by the video as well, saying that it was excessive for the police to shoot Laquan while he was down and not an immediate threat to police. Additionally there are accusations that the police have deleted portions of the video in order to protect the cop.