Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke is seen in an undated picture released by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, Illinois. (REUTERS/Cook County State's Attorney's Office/Handout)
Chicago:
A white Chicago policeman was charged on Tuesday with murdering a black teenager, a prosecution that was speeded up in hopes of staving off a fresh burst of the turmoil over race and police use of deadly force that has shaken the United States for more than a year.
Officer Jason Van Dyke, 37, was denied bail at a hearing in Chicago's main criminal courthouse hours after top Cook Couny prosecutor Anita Alvarez announced charges of first-degree murder. If convicted, Van Dyke could face 20 years to life in prison.
At the brief court hearing, prosecutor Bill Delaney told Cook County Circuit Court Associate Judge Donald Panarese that a video of the Oct. 20, 2014 shooting does not show Laquan McDonald, 17, who was armed with a knife, advancing on Van Dyke, and that witnesses concur on that fact.
The video of the police shooting will be released on Tuesday afternoon, according to local media. Previously, the video had been slated for release on Wednesday.
McDonald was shot 16 times by Van Dyke, who emptied his gun and prepared to reload, prosecutors said. Van Dyke has said through his lawyer and the police union that the shooting was justified because he felt threatened by McDonald.
"Clearly this officer went overboard and he abused his authority and I don't think use of force was necessary," Alvarez said at a news conference after the hearing.
Officer Jason Van Dyke, 37, was denied bail at a hearing in Chicago's main criminal courthouse hours after top Cook Couny prosecutor Anita Alvarez announced charges of first-degree murder. If convicted, Van Dyke could face 20 years to life in prison.
At the brief court hearing, prosecutor Bill Delaney told Cook County Circuit Court Associate Judge Donald Panarese that a video of the Oct. 20, 2014 shooting does not show Laquan McDonald, 17, who was armed with a knife, advancing on Van Dyke, and that witnesses concur on that fact.
The video of the police shooting will be released on Tuesday afternoon, according to local media. Previously, the video had been slated for release on Wednesday.
McDonald was shot 16 times by Van Dyke, who emptied his gun and prepared to reload, prosecutors said. Van Dyke has said through his lawyer and the police union that the shooting was justified because he felt threatened by McDonald.
"Clearly this officer went overboard and he abused his authority and I don't think use of force was necessary," Alvarez said at a news conference after the hearing.
© Thomson Reuters 2015
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
