Closing arguments begin Thursday in murder trial of Chicago officer

Closing arguments in the trial of the white Chicago policeman who shot a black teen to death in 2014 are set to take place on Thursday, in a case that has shone a spotlight on race relations and police use of force in the United States’ third-largest city.

Jason Van Dyke, 40, is accused of shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times and faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. He is the first Chicago police officer to face a murder charge for an on-duty incident in decades and faces life in prison if convicted.

The case will largely turn on whether jurors believe Van Dyke reasonably feared for his safety when he shot McDonald.

Prosecutors have said Van Dyke had no justification, arguing that the officer continued to shoot after McDonald fell to the ground.

Prosecutors say video from a dashboard camera, which has been viewed by the jury, shows McDonald was not moving toward Van Dyke when he began firing.

The video, released more than a year after the Oct. 20, 2014, incident in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by a journalist, sparked days of protests in Chicago, led to the firing of Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and prompted calls for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.

Van Dyke took the witness stand in his own defense on Tuesday, telling jurors he felt threatened because McDonald held a knife and was advancing toward him at the time he began firing.

The officer said the dashboard camera video, which was taken from the side, does not show what occurred from his point of view.

Van Dyke’s lawyers have portrayed McDonald as an out-of-control, dangerous criminal who was under the influence of a drug.

The trial is now in its third week. The 12-person jury includes one black member.

Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; editing by Jonathan Oatis