Van Dyke testifies for first time in Laquan McDonald case

Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer charged with murder in the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, took the witness stand Wednesday for the first time since he was indicted.

Van Dyke, his face pinched with the same hunted expression that he has worn in public since he was charged more than a year ago, testified that he thought he'd be fired if he refused to answer questions from detectives and supervisors who arrived at the shooting scene on the night of Oct. 20, 2014.

The hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building was focused on whether prosecutors would be allowed to use Van Dyke's statements and police reports from the night of the shooting.

Van Dyke's time on the stand was brief and focused on what his superiors said to him, not what he told them about what happened and why he fired 16 shots at McDonald, 17.

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