Source: Joshua Lott / Getty
The Chicago police officer charged in Laquan McDonald’s shooting death was arraigned Tuesday morning, when he pleaded not guilty to the charge, The Chicago Tribune reports.
Jason Van Dyke appeared for the first time before Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan. His lawyer, Dan Herbert, entered a not-guilty plea at the brief hearing.
He was indicted earlier this month on six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct in McDonald’s fatal shooting.
From The Tribune:
On Dec. 18, Van Dyke’s attorney, Daniel Herbert, told reporters he was considering seeking a change of venue out of Cook County for the officer’s trial. He said “Exhibit A” would be Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s repeated comments about the case and Van Dyke.
The case has created a firestorm after the release last month of a dash-cam video showing Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times within seconds of stepping out of his police car as the black teen moved away from the white officer.
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Van Dyke’s lawyer has said the veteran officer feared for his life when he shot McDonald on a Southwest Side street in October 2014.
The hearing comes as the city is on edge after a student and grandmother were shot by police over the weekend while answering a domestic disturbance call.
SOURCE: NewsOne, The Chicago Tribune
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