White Chicago cop guilty of shooting dead black teen Laquan McDonald - Daily News
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Jurors,white,Chicago,cop,guilty,murdering,black,teenager,Laquan,McDonald The white Chicago police officer charged with shooting dead black teenager Laquan McDonald has been found guilty. Officer Jason Van Dyke sat stony faced as the jury returned a verdict of guilty for one count of second degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.  Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, was heavily guarded as they heard the verdict on Friday afternoon, while outside, a large crowd of protesters erupted in cheers as the result was read.'Justice for Laquan! Justice for Laquan!' demonstrators chanted after hearing the news. The judge revoked the bail for Van Dyke who could face up to 30 years in jail, and a minimum of six years, for each count of aggravated battery with a firearm, and between four and 20 years in jail for second degree murder. Van Dyke will be sentenced on October 31.  After the officer was walked out of court, his wife appeared to be struggling to hold back tears as her family surrounded and comforted her.Scroll down for video  During closing arguments at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, prosecutor Jody Gleason pointed to dashcam video of Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times as the teenager held a knife at his side. She noted that Van Dyke, who arrived at his trial wearing a bulletproof vest, told detectives that McDonald raised the knife, that Van Dyke backpedaled, and that McDonald tried to get up off the ground after being shot.'None of that happened,' she said. 'You've seen it on video. He made it up.'But Van Dyke's attorney, Dan Herbert, said the video, the centerpiece of the prosecutor's case, doesn't tell the whole story and is 'essentially meaningless based on the testimony' jurors heard. He pointed to testimony from Van Dyke's partner that night, Joseph Walsh, who said he saw McDonald raise the knife, even though the video doesn't show that. Van Dyke made similar claims on the witness stand as he told jurors that he was afraid for his life and acted according to his training. 'The video is not enough,' he said. He added: 'It shows a perspective, but it's the wrong perspective.'  Herbert did not note that Walsh is one of three officers charged with conspiring to cover up and lie about the circumstances of the October 20, 2014, shooting to protect Van Dyke. Jurors were told only that Walsh was testifying under 'use immunity,' meaning his testimony can't be used against him as long as he was truthful, but were never told about the allegations he faces.The jury panel was made up of eight women and four men, seven of them white, one black, three Hispanic and one Asian, began deliberations Thursday afternoon. Police encountered McDonald after a 911 call reported someone breaking into vehicles. As Van Dyke arrived, police had the 17-year-old mostly surrounded on a city street. An officer with a Taser was just 25 seconds away.Gleason seized on the testimony of one the defense's own witnesses, a psychologist who interviewed Van Dyke. Dr. Lauren

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