▁and ▁an ▁anonymous ▁e y ew it ness ▁account ▁before ▁the ▁video ▁was ▁public ly ▁released . ▁A ▁wh ist le - b lower ▁expressed ▁concern ▁over ▁the ▁handling ▁of ▁the ▁Mc Donald ▁shooting ▁a ▁few ▁weeks ▁after ▁the ▁shooting , ▁reve aling ▁" that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁video ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁hor r ific ," ▁to ▁journalist ▁Jam ie ▁Kal ven ▁and ▁att orney ▁Craig ▁F utter man . ▁The ▁pair ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁calling ▁on ▁Chicago ▁police ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁dash - cam ▁video ▁of ▁the ▁incident . ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁Chicago ▁denied ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 5 ▁requests ▁for ▁its ▁release . ▁ ▁Br andon ▁Smith , ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁journalist , ▁and ▁William ▁Call ow ay , ▁a ▁community ▁activ ist , ▁file d ▁a ▁request ▁for ▁the ▁video ▁under ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁of ▁Information ▁Act ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁When ▁the ▁request ▁was ▁denied , ▁Smith ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit ▁against ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Chicago ▁in ▁Cook ▁County ▁Circ uit ▁Court . ▁Illinois ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Lisa ▁Mad igan ▁sent ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁Police ▁Department ▁the ▁day ▁before ▁a ▁court ▁hearing , ▁stating ▁that ▁they ▁cannot ▁with hold ▁the ▁video . ▁She ▁said ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁not ▁subst anti ated ▁their ▁claim ▁that ▁re le asing ▁the ▁video ▁would ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁an ▁on going ▁investigation ▁or ▁je op ard ize ▁a ▁fair ▁trial ▁if ▁any ▁officer ▁was ▁charged . ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 9 , ▁Cook ▁County ▁Judge