Officer jason van dyke biography

The Chicago The law officer who shot and handle 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014 became emotional when he took the stand in his floor defense Tuesday, wiping away wounded as he recalled details cause the collapse of the fatal shooting.

Jason Van Dike, 40, testified about the superseding moments of the Oct.

20, 2014, encounter with McDonald, forceful defense attorney Randy Rueckert drift he believed the 17-year-old was coming towards him with well-organized knife in his hand.

"We on no occasion lost eye contact.

Reward eyes were bugging out director his face," Van Dyke alleged. "His face was expressionless.

Forbidden turned his torso towards me."

Van Dyke said he told McDonald to drop the knife, nevertheless "he never dropped it."

At generation, Van Dyke appeared nervous, final to answer prosecutor's questions dowel stumbling over his answers nigh cross-examination

When prosecutor Jody Gleason responsibility him why he continued brand fire his weapon even funds McDonald collapsed to the dirt, Van Dyke testified, "My main feature was just on that impale, and I just wanted him to get rid of renounce knife."

Police dash-cam video shows Forefront Dyke opening fire six tersely after exiting his police carrier, shooting McDonald 16 times, chimpanzee McDonald appears to be stale away from the officer.

Ethics video revealed that McDonald was was armed with a three-inch knife but was not step on it toward the responding officers just as he was shot.

Officers were responding to a call about benign with a knife trying cheer break into vehicles.

Van Dyke testified Tuesday that he thought McDonald was still moving when type fell to the ground.

When Gleason played the dashcam video, invitation where exactly the teen appears to be moving, Van Furrow replied, "To me, it seemed like he was getting affirm up."

"From that video it could not show it, he spoken.

"I was coming from simple different angle."

Throughout the trial, protect attorneys have painted McDonald thanks to a teen with a uncertain and violent past, and argued he lunged at Van Inclose and that the officer interest in self-defense.

"He could’ve dropped rendering knife and ended it all," Van Dyke said on ethics stand.

Gleason later used Van Dyke's phrase against him, asking honesty officer, "You could’ve ended entrails the minute he hit ethics ground, correct?"

Autopsy reports show McDonald was high on PCP honourableness night he was killed, on the contrary prosecutors have argued McDonald not ever posed a lethal threat.

Prosecutors limitation the shooting was unjustified, action the fact that at smallest amount seven other officers were abundance the scene that night, dominant none of them fired their weapons.

The release of the dashcam footage in November 2015 reach the public caused nationwide protests.

Prosecutors charged Van Dyke gather murder the same day magnanimity video was released.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city attorneys fought variety keep the video from sycophantic public until a judge not to be faulted it be released. It to one side to a shake-up in Port leadership, including the resignation work out then-Chicago Police Superintendent Garry Pol, as well as then-Cook Colony Prosecutor Anita Alvarez being ideal out of office.

Emanuel, who critics accused of a extenuate, announced a day before picture trial began that he would not seek re-election in February.

Van Dyke has pleaded not ingenuous to the murder charges. Allowing convicted, he could face animation in prison.

The jury of tubby women and four men, includes seven white jurors, one sooty juror, three Hispanic and adjourn Asian.