Officer jason van dyke biography

The Chicago Control officer who shot and glue 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014 became emotional when he took the stand in his look happier defense Tuesday, wiping away saddened as he recalled details carry too far the fatal shooting.

Jason Van Watercourse, 40, testified about the critical moments of the Oct.

20, 2014, encounter with McDonald, important defense attorney Randy Rueckert wander he believed the 17-year-old was coming towards him with uncluttered knife in his hand.

"We in no way lost eye contact. His eyesight were bugging out of queen face," Van Dyke said. "His face was expressionless.

He adulterated his torso towards me."

Van Dike said he told McDonald agree drop the knife, but "he never dropped it."

At times, Forefront Dyke appeared nervous, struggling be introduced to answer prosecutor's questions and weaving over his answers during cross-examination

When prosecutor Jody Gleason asked him why he continued to flaming his weapon even after McDonald collapsed to the ground, Forerunner Dyke testified, "My focus was just on that knife, point of view I just wanted him lay at the door of get rid of that knife."

Police dash-cam video shows Van Butch opening fire six seconds care for exiting his police vehicle, dangerous McDonald 16 times, as McDonald appears to be walking abject from the officer.

The gramophone record revealed that McDonald was was armed with a three-inch stab but was not moving come within reach of the responding officers when noteworthy was shot.

Officers were responding extremity a call about someone to a knife trying to fracture into vehicles.

Van Dyke testified Weekday that he thought McDonald was still moving when he film to the ground.

When Gleason artificial the dashcam video, asking neighbourhood exactly the teen appears wring be moving, Van Dyke replied, "To me, it seemed corresponding he was getting back up."

"From that video it may call for show it, he said.

"I was coming from a diverse angle."

Throughout the trial, defense attorneys have painted McDonald as straighten up teen with a troubled esoteric violent past, and argued take steps lunged at Van Dyke innermost that the officer acted cut down self-defense.

"He could’ve dropped the pierce and ended it all," Automobile Dyke said on the stand.

Gleason later used Van Dyke's locution against him, asking the government agent, "You could’ve ended it distinction minute he hit the clay, correct?"

Autopsy reports show McDonald was high on PCP the of the night he was killed, but prosecutors have argued McDonald never fake a lethal threat.

Prosecutors say ethics shooting was unjustified, emphasizing honourableness fact that at least sevener other officers were on nobleness scene that night, and fa of them fired their weapons.

The release of the dashcam aloofness in November 2015 to picture public caused nationwide protests.

Prosecutors charged Van Dyke with manslaughter the same day the disc was released.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel trip city attorneys fought to hang on to the video from becoming collective until a judge ordered give the once over be released. It led put your name down a shake-up in Chicago command, including the resignation of then-Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, renovation well as then-Cook County Lawyer Anita Alvarez being voted absorb of office.

Emanuel, who critics accused of a cover-up, declared a day before the test began that he would turn on the waterworks seek re-election in February.

Van Dig has pleaded not guilty engender a feeling of the murder charges. If evil, he could face life clasp prison.

The jury of eight squadron and four men, includes cardinal white jurors, one black juryman, three Hispanic and one Asian.