Source: Chicago Tribune

Hours after a Chicago police officer was ordered held without bond on a first-degree murder charge, the city released a shocking police dash-cam video that captured the white officer opening fire on an African American teen on a Southwest Side street, striking him 16 times and killing him.

The video is about six minutes long and appears to show 17-year-old Laquan McDonald running down the middle of Pulaski Road near 41st Street when Officer Jason Van Dyke, standing next to his SUV, opens fire.

It was released to the media after a late afternoon news conference by Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

McCarthy said he understood how people will feel watching the video but urged calm.

“The officer in this case took a young man’s life, and he’s going to have to account for his actions,” McCarthy said.  “People have a right to be angry, people have a right to protest.”

But police will not tolerate criminal behavior, he warned.

“We knew this day was coming,” McCarthy said. “We’ve been prepared for this day coming for quite some time.”

“We are not predicting doom and gloom,” he later added as the news conference ended. “We are predicting protests.”

Emanuel said he hoped the city will “rise to the moment.”

“This episode can be a moment of understanding and learning,” the mayor said.

The release capped a day that started with extremely rare murder charges being filed against Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was ordered held without bail at a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said she had decided weeks ago to charge Van Dyke but was holding off until federal authorities completed their part of the joint investigation.  She said she “moved up” her decision to charge Van Dyke after a Cook County judge ruled last week that the video should be released to the public.

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