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Chicago Reacts to Release of Laquan McDonald Video


City officials on Tuesday evening released the much-anticipated video depicting the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in October 2014.

Brandis Friedman reports live from Roosevelt Road and Wabash Avenue, where police and about 200 protesters had marched through the intersection, chanting things like, "They think it's a game, they think it's a joke." They turned north on Michigan Avenue, possibly heading to Millennium Park.

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Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy held a press conference earlier in the evening to discuss the shooting death of McDonald, the release of the video and to talk about the potential for protests.

"What I expect is the same thing that we talk about frequently, which is the fact that people have a right to be angry, people have a right to protest, people have a right to free speech," said McCarthy. "But they do not have a right to commit criminal acts. At the end of the day, the Chicago Police Department has trained for it–we're one of the world leaders in mass demonstrations; we're prepared to facilitate people's First Amendment right to free speech–but we will be intolerant of criminal behavior."

"We hold our police officers to a high standard," said Emanuel. "Obviously, in this case, Jason Van Dyke violated both the standards of professionalism that comes with being a police officer, but also basic moral standards that bind our community together. Jason Van Dyke will be judged through the court of law. That's exactly how it should be."

Hear more of what Emanuel and McCarthy had to say about the case.


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