Chicago is refusing to release the video of the shooting death of a 17-year-old black teen, who was shot by a police officer in October 2014, the Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday. Laquon McDonald was shot 16 times when he allegedly wielded a knife and refused to drop it when confronted by officers.
Police and the FBI are withholding the dash-cam video because it is “central to their investigation,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel reportedly said Wednesday. Authorities said they were “confident this video will be released at the appropriate time when their investigation is complete,” the AP reported.
However, videos of several high-profile confrontations involving police have been released amid pending investigations in the past. Some members of the Chicago City Council disagreed that releasing the video could spark violent protests.
“Regaining the trust of the community, particularly the black community, starts with honesty and hiding a potential execution is the kind of thing that destroys trust,” Craig Futterman, a law professor at the University of Chicago, told the AP.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!
