Attorneys made opening arguments Monday in the trial of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder for shooting a black teen four years ago, a politically-charged case that has roiled the city.
The prosecution said Jason Van Dyke unlawfully shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in the street October 2014, after the knife-wielding teen disobeyed officers' orders to drop the weapon.
Van Dyke simply saw "a black boy, walking down the street... and having the audacity to ignore the police," lead prosecutor Joe McMahon told the court.
The defendant's attorney Daniel Herbert countered with a portrait of McDonald as a dangerous criminal, high on hallucinogenic drug PCP, who had threatened members of the public during a "wild rampage."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content