News

Chicago cop: Murder charge in McDonald shooting is political

Posted August 29, 2018 7:00 am

The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - The white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald says he had never before fired his gun at anyone and maintains the criminal case against him stems from political pressure.

Officer Jason Van Dyke spoke with the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, ahead of next week's scheduled start of jury selection in his trial over the 2014 confrontation in which dashcam video shows him shooting McDonald 16 times.

Van Dyke says he wouldn't have fired his gun unless he believed he or others were in jeopardy. The Tribune reports that Van Dyke's attorney stopped him from discussing details of the shooting.

Release of the shooting video sparked massive protests. Van Dyke says he believes politics have been involved since the investigation started.

___

Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com

Article Comments

Article Categories
Chicago Content Providers News Region

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.