CHICAGO (AP) — The murder trial of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke has been halted for a day because a juror is ill.
Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan made the announcement Monday morning shortly after taking the bench. The trial will resume Tuesday.
Defense attorneys are closing in on calling their final witnesses. But it remains unclear whether Van Dyke will testify about what happened the night he shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014.
Van Dyke’s attorneys say the white officer acted properly when he shot the black teenager, who was armed with a knife. Prosecutors say the shooting wasn’t justified.
Last week, the officer’s lawyers called witnesses to testify about incidents the night of the shooting and in the months before, in which they say McDonald displayed violent behavior .
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