CHICAGO, IL — An emotional Jason Van Dyke took the witness stand to defend himself against first degree murder charges that he was unjustified in shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times until the teen was dead on Oct. 20, 2014. The Chicago police officer was on the stand for 90 minutes telling what he saw in the moments leading up to the shooting and what he found to be a “shocking situation.”
Van Dyke described for defense attorney Randy Rueckert that McDonald never stopped advancing toward him. The Chicago police officer said he never lost eye contact with teen, who was standing “10 to 15 feet” away from Van Dyke.
“I could see his face. He had no expression, eyes just bugging out of his head, huge white eyes staring through me,” Van Dyke said. “I was yelling at him ‘drop the knife, drop the knife.'”
Gulping water, Van Dyke testified he started shooting when McDonald turned his torso toward him.
“He waved the knife from his lower right side upwards across his body toward my left shoulder,” the police officer said.
“And what did you do,” Rueckert said.
“I shot him,” Van Dyke replied.
Van Dyke stated that he didn’t know if he hit McDonald when he shot at him He said he was trying to shoot at the knife McDonald held in his hand.
“All I could see was him trying to put up with his left hand and holding the knife in his right hand,” Van Dyke said. “I just kept looking at the knife and shot at it i just wanted him to get rid of the knife. I wanted him to stay on the ground because it was going to be an easier position to place him under arrest.”
Assistant special prosecutor Jody Gleason grilled Van Dyke under cross examination, asking Van Dyke where in the police dashcam video Laquan raised the knife.
“You’ve sat here for several days. Where do you see that on the video,” Gleason asked.
“It doesn’t show my perspective,” Van Dyke said.
Gleason turned to the computer simulated video created by the defense. She asked Van Dyke to show her where McDonald raised the knife. Van Dyke said it didn’t depict what he saw.
The special prosecutor also questioned Van Dyke about his statements made to a Chicago police detective in the hours after the shooting. The Chicago police officer said the scene was chaotic and that he was in shock.
The defense’s last witness of the day, Barry Vance Brodd, a use-of-force expert who offers expert witness services in police practices and civilian self defense. Brodd testified that he felt Van Dyke’s first volley of rounds were justified based on the police dashcam video and the fact that McDonald was armed with an “edged weapon.”
“After being given additional information, I rendered a decision that the second volley of shots was justified in his situation,” Brodd said.
Determining that McDonald was approximately 13 feet from Van Dyke, defense attorney Daniel Herbert measured off that distance with a tape measure. Using a toy knife, he had Brodd demonstrate the 1.7 seconds it would take to advance on someone and stab them with a knife.
Earlier in the day jurors also heard testimony from an expert witness — psychologist Laurence Miller — who said he did not believe Van Dyke was “malingering” when recounting what happened the night of the shooting. The Chicago police officer has maintained that he was in fear for his life when he shot the teen 16 times on Oct. 20, 2014.
“I believe Jason Van Dyke told me the truth as he perceived that truth,” Miller said.
Chicago Police Detective William Johnson testified how he retrieved a state ID, CTA card and a disabled veteran’s public transit card from McDonald’s body at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Defense attorneys contend that the teen used the veteran’s card to criss-cross the city on a “24-hour wild rampage” in the hours leading up to his death.
The defense is expected to wrap up its case Wednesday. The judge stated that the trial is nearing the end.
~ Jason Van Dyke | Getty Images
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