By Nick Gale, John Dempsey, WLS News
(CHICAGO) The police officer accused of shooting a teenager 16 times in 2014 has pleaded not guilty in court.
Veteran Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke entered the not guilty plea Tuesday at 10 a.m. He was heckled as he entered the Leighton Criminal Courts building at 26th and California just before 9 a.m.
Van Dyke’s not guilty plea comes after another police involved shooting over the weekend left two people dead. His attorney Daniel Herbert says other police involved shooting incidents shouldn’t have an impact on his client’s case, but has said in the past that he would seek a change of venue. After the plea, Herbert hinted at that again.
“They [other police involved shootings] should not affect my client’s case in any way shape or form and that’s why we’re going to make sure we’re in a forum where we firmly believe we’re going to get a fair trial,” Herbert said.
Dash cam video from a Chicago Police car shows Van Dyke firing 16 shots at 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was wielding a knife and was later found to have PCP in his system. The shooting sparked protests across the city.
Also Tuesday morning, Van Dyke learned the name of the judge who will preside over his case. He is veteran Cook County Criminal Court Judge Vincent Gaughan. Gaughan oversaw the 2008 trial of Chicago singer R. Kelly, who was acquitted of child pornography charges. Gaughan also presided over the trial of James Degorski, who was convicted for his role in the murders of seven people at a Browns Chicken in Palatine in 1993.
Van Dyke remains free on bond. His next court date is January 29.
@ 2015 WLS News
