CHICAGO (Reuters) – White Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder on Friday for the 2014 shooting of black teen Laquan McDonald, a case that laid bare tensions between the black community and the police department in the third-largest U.S. city.
Van Dyke, 40, was accused of shooting 17-year-old McDonald, who was armed with a knife, 16 times. Van Dyke was charged with murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct.
The conviction on the lesser charge of second-degree murder suggests the jury credited Van Dyke’s claim that he believed there was a threat but found his belief was unreasonable.
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