The release of chilling video footage on Tuesday of a 17-year-old being gunned down in the street by a Chicago police officer has sparked disgust across social media.
Laquan McDonald died in October 2014 after being shot 16 times by a white police officer but the graphic dash-cam was not released until over a year later after a judge ordered that it be made public.
“Selma” director Ava DuVernay was one of the many people vocal in their abhorrence over the shooting.
“Without video’s release, there’d be no criminal charges made. Without video’s very existence, there’d be no attention paid. #LaquanMcDonald,” she wrote, before praising the reporter, Brandon Smith, who lobbied to get the video released. “Amidst horror of #LaquanMcDonald’s murder, respect to indie journalist @muckrakery who sued to get the vid released.”
“Grey’s Anatomy” actor Jesse Williams wrote: “These savages continuously break laws & lives in the name of publicService & we’re supposed to shut up & keep kneeling. #Nah #LaquanMcDonald.”
MSNBC host Chris Hayes conceded that the video was horrible, but said that it shows “exactly what we knew it showed.”
According to Cook County prosecutors, Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke was only on the scene for 30 seconds before he repeatedly opened fire on the knife-holding African-American teenager who neither lunged toward him nor uttered a word when he was asked to drop the weapon.
Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder on Tuesday and is being held without bond. He still worked for the department in a “limited duty position” until then as investigators probed the shooting, CNN reported.
In the video, McDonald can been seen walking down the middle of a thoroughfare. He appears to be walking away from police when he’s first struck. About two seconds after he falls and is lying on his side, two puffs of smoke can be seen, said to be clouds of debris caused by fired bullets.
The last visible shot was fired about 13 seconds later and his body has jerked and his arms have moved slightly, while he lays on the ground. At that point, an unidentified officer, who prosecutor’s identified as Van Dyke’s partner, approaches McDonald and kicks a small knife the teen is holding in his hand.
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez described the footage as “graphic, it is violent, it is chilling,” after announcing the charges against Van Dyke.
Along with social media outcry, hundreds of people took to the streets of Chicago to protest Tuesday night, chanting “16 shots” to represent the number of bullets that riddled McDonald.
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These savages continuously break laws & lives in the name of publicService & we're supposed to shut up & keep kneeling. #Nah #LaquanMcDonald
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) November 25, 2015
I wish I could say that this is just "unbelievable" but… #LaquanMcDonald
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) November 25, 2015
The video is horrible, but it shows exactly what we knew it showed. #LaquanMcDonald
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 24, 2015
Video is what got the police officer taken off salary. Video is what drove the murder indictment. Video is essential. #LaquanMcDonald
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) November 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/Fresh_Moss/status/669362812226052096
https://twitter.com/Montel_Williams/status/669357181129457664
The city and police tried everything they could to cover up and lie about the #LaquanMcDonald case. That's how a population loses faith.
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) November 25, 2015