Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder, one year after the shooting and killing of Laquan McDonald, 17, in October of 2014.
This is the first time a Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty fatality in nearly 35 years, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The announcement comes the day before video footage of the incident is set to be released.
NPR reports:
McDonald was shot 16 times in October of 2014. Police say he had refused to follow officers' instructions as he walked down a street with a knife, and that he had punctured several cars' tires. An attorney for McDonald's family says he had his back to the officers when he was shot.
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[The murder charge] comes as many in Chicago have been anxiously awaiting the court-ordered release of a dash-cam video of the shooting, worried that it could spark unrest in the city.
Ahead of [the Nov. 25] deadline for the footage to be released, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other community leaders have been calling for calm, while activists are planning protests – including one demonstration that would block a major commercial street on Black Friday.
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