The Chicago Police Department will release a damning video within the next day, according to sources. The video shows the alleged shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald carried out by Officer Jason Van Dyke in October 2014, covered earlier by HNGN.
Sources report that criminal charges will be filed against the 37-year-old Van Dyke on Tuesday.
Attorney General Anita Alvarez launched an investigation into the McDonald case, and has found reasonable evidence that Van Dyke stand criminal trial. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy face scrutiny for placing Van Dyke on paid desk duty, and for keeping the shooting video hidden, according to Chicago Sun-Times.
A police union official states that Van Dyke feared for his life when he gunned down a knife-wielding McDonald.
Emanuel initially stated that the videos release would interfere with an ongoing investigation, but recent comments seem to show a shift in his perspective. "Police officers are entrusted to uphold the law, and to provide safety to our residents. In this case, unfortunately, it appears an officer violated that trust at every level," Emanuel stated, according to CNN.
Reverend Roosevelt Watkins fears that the release of the video will trigger violence in Chicago. "Chicago is on the tipping point. We could be just like Ferguson," Watkins said, according to The Daily Caller.
