Chicago Officer Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Black Teen
Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke pleaded not guilty to six counts of first-degree murder in court Tuesday.
The officer, who is white, faces the charges following the release of a year-old video showing him shooting Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old black teen, in October 2014. Van Dyke was released on a $1.5 million bond late last month.
Since the video's release about a month ago, multiple protests have popped up around Chicago criticizing the police and calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.
The calls for action are the latest response to a wave of police shootings and protests by the black community. Over the weekend, police shot and killed a 55-year-old woman and a 19-year-old student.
Mayor Emanuel is returning from a family vacation in Cuba to deal with the aftermath of the latest shooting deaths.
The unrest started after an officer shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year.