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CHICAGO (FOX 32 / AP) — An attorney for a white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager 16 times says his client acted lawfully and urges the public not to rush to judgment based solely on a video of the shooting that's to be released within days.
"The video is graphic, it's violent and it's difficult to watch at some points," said Attorney Dan Herbert. "Despite what it shows, there are factors that will come out from our side which we believe shows that my clients actions were appropriate and certainly within the law and within department guidelines."
Herbert told reporters Friday that Officer Jason Van Dyke is — in his words — "scared to death." Herbert says the officer is concerned about the safety of his wife and two school-age children in the event the video prompts violence.
"He firmly believed he was in fear for his life, and he was concerned about the life of his fellow officers at the time that he shot," said Herbert.
The Fraternal Order of Police is concerned that if there are charges, it could be hard for Van Dyke to get a fair trial.
"In today's society with social media and the way things play over and over and over again and how media plays things over and over again, how do you find a jury pool that hasn't watched this video dozens and dozens and more times," said FOP President Dean Angelo Sr.
A judge on Thursday ordered the city to release squad car dashcam video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald's 2014 shooting.
Herbert says the video doesn't capture the whole confrontation.
Van Dyke has been stripped of his police powers, but remains at work on desk duty.