Who Is Laquan McDonald? Video Of Chicago Teenager Being Shot By Officer Jason Van Dyke Ordered To Be Released

An Illinois judge ruled Thursday the video showing the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white Chicago police officer has to be released, according to WGN-TV in Chicago. The Illinois Attorney General had previously said the Freedom of Information Act was violated by Chicago police when they refused to release the video of the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by the officer identified as Jason Van Dyke.

Chicago officials said releasing the video would violate a federal probe into the shooting, which occurred last year, according to the Chicago Tribune. The judge said Thursday Chicago police couldn’t prove the probe would be jeopardized because of the video being released.

Attorneys for the city tried to stay the judge’s ruling, but the judge refused the motion to grant the stay, according to local media. A deadline of Nov. 25 was given for the release, during which time the city can go before an appeals court.

The video reportedly shows McDonald walking along a road in Chicago before being shot 16 times. The police union has said that Van Dyke feared for his life in the situation, as McDonald was erratic and refused to drop a 4-inch folding knife; an autopsy later revealed that McDonald had PCP in his system. The police union also maintains that the teen eventually lunged toward the officer and his partner.

McDonald’s family has also said it does not want to release the video, but lawyers for the family have said the video shows Van Dyke shooting the teen from about 15 feet away, saying his body jerked in a way consistent with him being shot. The family was given a settlement $5 million settlement in April.

Various newspapers had filed FOIA requests to see the video, all of which were denied. Chicago’s law department and a review board that investigates officer-involved shootings were also denied access to see the video, the Tribune reported.