Chicago police say they will not tolerate any criminal behavior after the release of a video showing the 2014 police shooting of a black teen by a white officer.
"People have the right to be angry. People have a right to protest. People have a right to free speech. But they do not have the right to...criminal acts," Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy told a news conference Tuesday. McCarthy said his officers are hoping for the best, but are expecting the worst.
A court ordered the city to release the police car camera video of the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by officer Jason Van Dyke.
Van Dyke turned himself in to authorities Tuesday and has been charged with first degree murder. He also has been fired from the police department.
The officer is accused of shooting McDonald 16 times, with many of those shots coming after McDonald was on the ground.
In the video, McDonald is running down the center of a street toward several police cars, then apparently walks away from police holding what some reports say was a knife. No sound is heard before Van Dyke opens fire and continues firing after McDonald falls to the ground, writhing in pain. An officer approaches McDonald and appears to try to kick whatever he was carrying out of his hand.
The Chicago Tribune newspaper quotes police as saying McDonald was behaving erratically, had drugs in his system, and refused police commands to drop a knife he was holding.
The Chicago shooting is another in a series of highly publicized police shootings and deadly assaults of young black men by officers — mostly white, some black.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appealed to both sides Tuesday for understanding and learning. He said young men have to see police officers as partners and mentors, and not just someone with a badge.
He also said police must look at young men as individuals worthy of their protection and see students, athletes and artists.
Two arrested in Minneapolis shooting
Meanwhile in Minneapolis, police arrested three white men for allegedly shooting five people near a Black Lives Matter protest outside a police station.
One man was arrested Tuesday morning and two other turned themselves in later in the day. A Hispanic suspect who had also been arrested was later freed.
The three allegedly opened fire at protesters who had told them to leave the protest, thinking they looked suspicious. None of the wounds are life-threatening. Police are searching for others who may have been involved.
The demonstrators have been camped out in front of the police precinct for more than a week, protesting the police shooting of 24-year-old Jamar Clark earlier this month.
Witnesses say Clark was handcuffed when he was shot. Police deny the charge and say Clark was interfering with an ambulance crew helping a crime victim.
