‘Chilling’ video of Chicago officer fatally shooting black teen sparks protests

The city of Chicago released video Tuesday of police officer Jason Van Dyke firing 16 shots into the body of Laquan McDonald, fatally wounding the 17-year-old.

Though McDonald quickly falls to the ground, Van Dyke continues to fire into his body as the teenager jerks on the street. Puffs of smoke from the bullets can be seen rising from his prone body thereafter.

"It is everything that it is described to be by the news accounts," Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said of the video at an earlier Tuesday press conference. "It is graphic, it is violent, it is chilling."

The killing happened on Oct. 20, 2014, and many have questioned why the city took so long to release the dash cam video. A Cook County judge ordered the video's release earlier this month, saying the city could not prove that it would hamper the investigation into the incident.

Van Dyke, who is white, was charged with murder on Tuesday. Alvarez said she expedited her announcement of the charges to coincide with the release of the video. “I felt compelled in the interest of public safety to announce these state charges today," she said.

It's the first time a Chicago officer has been charged with an on-duty fatality in more than three decades. He had previously been accused of using excessive force and racist slurs.

"As of today, he’s no longer being paid by the city of Chicago," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said at a separate press conference.

McDonald, who is black, carried a knife the day Van Dyke killed him, and had allegedly acted erratically. Other officers had worked to keep McDonald away from pedestrians when Van Dyke pulled up in a police vehicle. Seconds later, he fired 16 shots into McDonald.

Police union officials had said McDonald lunged at Van Dyke before the officer fired, but the video doesn't support that account.

"The officer in this case took a young man's life and he's going to have to take accountability for his actions," Chicago Police Department Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Jason Van Dyke does not represent the police department," Emanuel added.

protestors begin to gather at office of Cook County States Atty Anita Alvarez at Maxwell/Halsted #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/QvSsZnhqd3

— dope, it's tom! (@DOPEITSTOM) November 24, 2015

Chicago officials and McDonald's family have asked for calm in the wake of the video. Emanuel met with community leaders to advocate for calm, though some of those leaders said they felt he should have approached them much sooner.

After the video was released, one group of protesters marched down Roosevelt Road, forming a circle at the intersection of State Street and Roosevelt Road in the city's South Loop neighborhood, blocking traffic. Protesters chanted "16 shots!" the number of times McDonald was shot by Van Dyke.

pic.twitter.com/bC8fgOewze

— Dawn Rhodes (@rhodes_dawn) November 25, 2015

Some protesters also gathered in front of a police station where three activists were reportedly being held. It's unclear why they were in police custody. Demonstrators there shouted "16 shots" as others had earlier in the night and "No Justice! No Peace!"—a rallying cry during the Ferguson protests— at officers standing in a police line in front of the first district station.

March is now at police station at 18th and state #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/EQp29kp09F

— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) November 25, 2015

Hundreds in front of dist. 1 station where 3 activists are being held #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/TLYL9htW2b

— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) November 25, 2015

The march continued past midnight, with activists blocking traffic in both directions on Interstate 290 and closing the Congress Avenue exit around 1 a.m.

290 blocked pic.twitter.com/CFRYkQgwOV

— Peter Nickeas (@PeterNickeas) November 25, 2015

The city was also dealing with congestion caused by thousands gathered at Millennium Park downtown, there to attend the annual lighting of the city's Christmas tree.

Emanuel reiterated his desire for calm at the press conference on Tuesday, but also said he hopes police officers will do a better job seeing potential in citizens instead of a possible threat.

"The future of the city of Chicago lies within each of us," Emanuel said. "I believe we as a city must rise to this moment."