A Chicago jury convicted a white police officer of second-degree murder in the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old African American.
Jason Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times on the night of October 20, 2014, as the teen, who was carrying a knife, appeared to be walking away from him.
The shooting was captured on police video, sparking outrage throughout the city.
The 12-person jury reached a verdict on Friday, just a day after beginning deliberations. He was also convicted of 16 counts of aggravated battery, and acquitted of one count of official misconduct.
Protesters gathered outside the court as the verdict was read. Video posted on social media, showed activists and others cheering and chanting: “We finally got justice!”
Van Dyke was originally charged with first degree murder, a charge that requires a finding that the shooting was necessary and unreasonable. The judge told jurors the second-degree charge was also available, requiring them to find Van Dyke believed his life was in danger, but that the belief was unreasonable.Second-degree murder usually carries a sentence of less than 20 years.
Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer to be charged with murder for an on-duty shooting in more than 50 years. The case has put the city at the centre of the national conversation about police misconduct and excessive force.
More soon…
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
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