On June 8, 2016, three members of a We Charge Genocide working group, Real Community Accountability for People’s Safety (RCAPS) met with the Department of Justice. As part of their investigation into police use of deadly force in Chicago, the DOJ wanted to discuss The Counter-CAPS Report: The Community Engagement Arm of the Police State. Community policing is currently an important plank in proposals for criminal justice reform. Through our independent, collaborative and grassroots research, we found that community policing mobilizes a self-selecting group to work with police and insulate them from scrutiny. It’s a way to generate some support for and increase the legitimacy of the police, not a serious solution to problems with state violence. ||||| About 300 to 400 protesters angry about the killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald hit the streets on Tuesday evening, minutes after Chicago Police released the dashcam video of the murder. 
 
 The pre-arranged demonstration began in University Village, at Roosevelt and Halsted streets. Then protesters moved east on Roosevelt and stopped to take over key intersections. 
 
 Heading into the Loop to meet up with more protesters, the marchers spent half an hour blocking Roosevelt and State, linking hands and chanting “Sixteen! Sixteen!” 
 
 They also shouted: “They left us for dead! They left us for dead!” 
 
 Sixteen was the number of times McDonald was shot by indicted Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. 
 
 As they marched, they also chanted that the system is “guilty as hell.” 
 
 Lamon Reccord, 16, said he wants answers for his community. And he wants Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to step down. 
 
 “I think Anita doesn’t believe in justice,” Reccord said. 
 
 They moved east to Michigan Avenue, where a horde of police on bicycles blocked them from heading toward Lake Shore Drive. 
 
 The protesters turned north on Michigan, blocking traffic at intersections where police continually stopped them from heading east. 
 
 But at Balbo, they broke past police lines and ran halfway toward Columbus, into a barricade of police and police vehicles, and a confrontation ensued when tension and anger boiled over. 
 
 In the full-on pushing match that lasted 15 minutes, officers, protesters and police bikes were left sprawled on the ground. When the scuffle ended, three protesters were hauled into a police wagon. A commander at the scene confirmed that three protesters were arrested and four cops were injured in the scuffle. The Chicago Teachers Union said one of those arrested was a Chicago Public Schools teacher. 
 
 One officer lost his cool, calling one young woman a “b – - – -.” The crowd was infuriated, and a commander came and removed the officer from the front line. 
 
 The protesters, now swelled to about 500, then went back to Michigan and headed west to Congress and State, where they shut down that intersection with a lone car trapped in their circle. 
 
 Tension mounted again as a debate ensued over whether to let the woman driver get past. Eventually, police came and stood with the trapped car until the group again headed south on State, shouting, “F – - – the police!” They also chanted, “What’s my name? Laquan!” 
 
 The protesters made their way south down State to the 1st District police station near 18th Street, where nearly 100 officers awaited, stationed around the building and blocking the entrance. 
 
 Gathering in front of the building, protesters using a bullhorn issued demands for change, then queued up in a face-off with police, chanting, ” Sixteen shots!” “Sixteen shots!” 
 
 The protesters eventually left the police station, walked several blocks south and then turned back north to 18th & Michigan, taking over that intersection and then the intersection of Roosevelt and Michigan, where they blocked traffic until 10 p.m. 
 
 Then suddenly, some of them made a break for Columbus Drive, running through the wall of police blocking them from going east, and the second melee of the night ensued. 
 
 Police and protesters chased one another up Roosevelt, to halfway between Michigan and Indiana, where again, police and protesters and bikes were sprawled on the ground. 
 
 Police grabbed one young man, and as they tried to get him into a squad car, the crowd began to block police. A pushing and shoving match ensued, and when police put him in the squad car, the protesters blocked the car from leaving. A very tense 15 minutes followed, as police tried to wrestle protesters away and slowly backed the car out of the melee. 
 
 Their ultimate goal of taking over Lake Shore Drive thwarted, the protesters moved back down to Michigan and Roosevelt at 10:30 p.m. and again took over that intersection. 
 
 The protesters soon left Roosevelt to head north on Michigan Avenue, followed now by both Chicago police and Illinois State police — who had been called in during the Roosevelt Road melee. 
 
 They wound their way through downtown streets over the next hour, first north, then west, then south. By 11 p.m., it became clear they had set a new goal of making it onto the Eisenhower Expy. via Congress Blvd. 
 
 At Harrison and Wacker, they made a break for the underpass to Congress, but police on bikes chased them down, and a barrage of police cars quickly showed up a block away to cordon off Congress. 
 
 Hemmed in, the protesters remained in a standoff with police for half an hour before suddenly seemingly doing an about-face, only to take a short cut through an adjacent plaza that emptied them onto Congress and the mouth of the expressway. 
 
 At 11:30 p.m., they had accomplished their goal and shut down the entrance to a major highway and were again in a standoff with police. 
 
 About 12:20 a.m., the crowd left the expressway entrance after police threatened arrests. 
 
 They worked their way north through the Loop, eventually to Monroe and Michigan. 
 
 Protesters held pictures of McDonald and screamed “He was 17!” and “Sixteen times!” in the faces of Chicago Police officers charged with not letting anyone east of Michigan. 
 
 About 1 a.m. Wednesday, the crowd dispersed in waves. 
 
 Late Tuesday afternoon, shortly before the release of the dashcam video, McCarthy told reporters that police were prepared for protests and wouldn’t bring in additional officers unless necessary. 
 
 “We’re going to be addressing moving forward with the resources we have until such time that we think that we don’t have the capability,” McCarthy said. 
 
 “We are not predicting doom and gloom. We are predicting protests which is something that we do two or three times a day in the city of Chicago,” McCarthy said at police headquarters, alongside Emanuel. 
 
 McCarthy called McDonald’s shooting a “tragic ending” to a “tragic life who was betrayed on a number of different levels.” 
 
 But he emphasized the need for peaceful protests. 
 
 “People have the right to be angry. People have a right to protest. People have a right to free speech but they do not have a right to commit criminal acts,” McCarthy said. “At the end of the day, the Chicago Police Department is trained for it. We’re one of the leaders 
 
 in demonstrations. We’re prepared to facilitate people’s First Amendment right to free speech, but we will be intolerant of criminal behavior here in the city of Chicago.” 
 
 McCarthy called Tuesday a day for “accountability” in the release of the video. 
 
 Emanuel called the city’s response to the shooting paramount to its future. 
 
 “The future of the city of Chicago lies within each of us. And I believe we as a city must rise to this moment, answer that call not only to ourselves as an individual but to our community and our city. This will no doubt be a challenge. I believe this is a moment that can build bridges of understanding rather than become a barrier of misunderstandings,” Emanuel said. 
 
 The mayor also urged peace in McDonald’s memory. 
 
 “I understand that the people will be upset and will want to protest when they see this video but I would like to echo the comments of the McDonald family. They’ve asked for calm and for those who choose to speak out to do it peacefully,” Emanuel said. “They say they do not want the violence to be resorted in Laquan’s name and that his legacy would be better than that.” 
 
 Emanuel called on the city to be passionate but peaceful: “It is now the time to come together as one city to show respect for one another.” 
 
 McCarthy criticized the timing of the charges, saying they should have come sooner. But he said he has been prepared for this day. 
 
 “We knew this day was coming,” McCarthy said. “We’ve been prepared for this day for quite some time.” ||||| CHICAGO (AP) — The white officer who shot a black Chicago teen 16 times has been charged with murder and jailed. The graphic video of the slaying has been made public. And in the hours after the footage was released, protesters seemed to honor pleas for restraint. 
 
 The Rev. Jesse Jackson right, embraces Fred Hampton Jr., left, after a vigil for Laquan McDonald, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Chicago. Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged Tuesday with first... (Associated Press) 
 
 Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy speak at a news conference, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Chicago, announcing first-degree murder charges against police officer... (Associated Press) 
 
 A wreath is placed while Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks during a vigil for 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was fatally shot and killed Oct. 20, 2014 in Chicago. Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged... (Associated Press) 
 
 This Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 photo released by the Cook County Sheriff's Office shows Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was charged Tuesday with first degree murder in the killing of 17-year-old... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this Oct. 20, 2014 frame from dash-cam video provided by Chicago Police Department, Laquan McDonald falls to the ground after being shot by officer Jason Van Dyke in Chicago. Van Dyke, who shot McDonald... (Associated Press) 
 
 Rainbow Push Coalition Senior Advisor Janette Wilson back, comforts Ameena Fort-Wilson of the Violence Interrupters during a vigil for 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was fatally shot and killed Oct.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Fred Hampton Jr. argues with a television reporter during a vigil for 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was fatally shot and killed Oct. 20, 2014 in Chicago. Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged... (Associated Press) 
 
 Rev. Jesse Jackson right, hugs Fred Hampton Jr., left, after a vigil for 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was fatally shot and killed Oct. 20, 2014 in Chicago. Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was... (Associated Press) 
 
 CORRECTS DATE OF SHOOTING TO OCT. 20, 2014 FROM OCT. 24 - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy appear at a news conference, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Chicago, announcing... (Associated Press) 
 
 Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez talks to reporters after the bond hearing for Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, on murder charges in the killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Tuesday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Fred Hampton Jr. left, is held back by Ameena Fort-Matthews while arguing with a television reporter during a vigil for 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was fatally shot and killed Oct. 20, 2014 in Chicago.... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this Oct. 20, 2014 frame from dash-cam video provided by the Chicago Police Department, Laquan McDonald, right, walks down the street moments before being shot by officer Jason Van Dyke in Chicago.... (Associated Press) 
 
 The question now is whether those efforts will be enough to address the simmering resentment that authorities took more than a year to share the footage and charge the officer who emptied an entire magazine into the teen even after he had crumpled to the ground. 
 
 City officials and community leaders had long braced for the release of the dash-cam video showing the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. They feared the kind of turmoil that occurred in cities such as Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, after young black men were slain by police or died in police custody. 
 
 A judge ordered that the recording be made public by Wednesday. Moments before it was released, the mayor and the police chief urged protesters to stay calm. 
 
 Mayor Rahm Emanuel said residents will "have to make an important judgment about our city and ourselves and go forward." He referred to the episode as a potential "moment of understanding and learning." 
 
 Protest groups are expected to stage more demonstrations in the days ahead, including one at City Hall scheduled for Wednesday and another seeking to block Michigan Avenue during Friday's holiday shopping bonanza. 
 
 Among the protesters was Justin Taylor, an 18-year-old University of Iowa student who returned home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. 
 
 "It's powerful we're coming together," Taylor said. "Things like this happen too often." 
 
 The relevant portion of the video runs for less than 40 seconds and has no audio. 
 
 McDonald swings into view on a four-lane street where police vehicles are stopped in the middle of the roadway. As he jogs down an empty lane, he appears to pull up his pants and then slows to a brisk walk, veering away from two officers who are emerging from a vehicle and drawing their guns. 
 
 Almost immediately, one of the officers appears to fire from close range. McDonald spins around and collapses on the pavement. 
 
 The car with the camera continues to roll forward until the officers are out of the frame. Then McDonald can be seen lying on the ground, moving occasionally. At least two small puffs of smoke are seen coming off his body as the officer continues firing. 
 
 In the final moments, an officer kicks something out of McDonald's hands. 
 
 Police have said the teen had a knife. Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said Tuesday that a 3-inch knife with its blade folded into the handle was recovered from the scene. 
 
 Shortly after the video's release, protesters began marching through city streets. Several hundred people blocked traffic on the near West Side. Some circled police cars in an intersection and chanted "16 shots." 
 
 Demonstrators, at times numbering in the hundreds, streamed through streets in the downtown and near South Side areas, gathering at one point outside the police department's District 1 headquarters. 
 
 Later, along Michigan Avenue, at least one person was detained, which led to a tense moment as protesters tried to prevent police from taking him away. Some threw plastic water bottles at officers and sat behind a police vehicle, refusing to move. Officers pulled them away, and the vehicle sped off. 
 
 The biggest group had mostly dissipated by 11 p.m., with a few dozen returning to the District 1 building. Another group of at least 50 people briefly blocked a busy expressway before walking toward a lakefront park. 
 
 Before the release of the video, city officials spent months arguing that the footage could not be made public until the conclusion of several investigations. After the judge's order, the investigations were quickly wrapped up and a charge announced. 
 
 Alvarez said concern about the impending release prompted her to move up the announcement of the murder charge. 
 
 "It is graphic. It is violent. It is chilling," she said. "To watch a 17-year-old young man die in such a violent manner is deeply disturbing. I have absolutely no doubt that this video will tear at the hearts of all Chicagoans." 
 
 But she also defended the 13 months it took to charge Officer Jason Van Dyke, insisting that she made a decision "weeks ago" to charge him and the video's ordered release did not influence that. 
 
 Some community leaders questioned that assertion. 
 
 "This is a panicky reaction to an institutional crisis within the criminal justice system," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who said he hoped to see "massive" but peaceful demonstrations. 
 
 Months after McDonald's death, the city agreed to a $5 million settlement with his family, even before relatives filed a lawsuit, a move that also drew deep skepticism from the community. 
 
 At the time of McDonald's death, police were responding to complaints about someone breaking into cars and stealing radios. 
 
 Van Dyke, who was denied bond on Tuesday, was the only officer of the several who were on the scene to open fire. 
 
 Alvarez said the officer was on the scene for just 30 seconds before he started shooting. She said he opened fire just six seconds after getting out of his vehicle and kept firing even though McDonald dropped to the ground after the initial shots. 
 
 At Tuesday's hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Bill Delaney said the shooting lasted 14 or 15 seconds and that McDonald was on the ground for 13 of those seconds. 
 
 An autopsy report showed that McDonald was shot at least twice in his back and PCP, a hallucinogenic drug, was found in his system. 
 
 Van Dyke's attorney, Dan Herbert, maintains his client feared for his life and acted lawfully and that the video does not tell the whole story. 
 
 After the shooting, Van Dyke was stripped of his police powers and assigned to desk duty. 
 
 Herbert said the case needs to be tried in a courtroom and "can't be tried in the streets, can't be tried on social media and can't be tried on Facebook." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen, Michael Tarm and Carla K. Johnson contributed to this report. ||||| Published on Nov 24, 2015 
 
 Police released a dashcam video Tuesday evening that shows a police officer shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in 2014. 
 
 
 
 The confrontation begins at approximately 5:00 
 
 
 
 EXPLAINER: http://dnain.fo/21eIU0R 
 
 
 
 What's next for Officer Jason Van Dyke? http://dnain.fo/1kS3bJj 
 
 
 
 Read the Charges Against Police Officer Jason Van Dyke http://dnain.fo/1N6kRGQ 
 
 
 
 GoFundMe Shuts Down Fundraiser for Officer Van Dyke, Refunds Donors http://dnain.fo/1P6hbeQ 
 
 
 
 The Laquan McDonald Case: A Shooting, A Video and A City Fearing Turmoil http://dnain.fo/1MOKxc3 ||||| Hundreds of protesters weaved through downtown streets Tuesday night into Wednesday morning after Chicago officials released the video of the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old by a Chicago police officer. 
 
 The march halted traffic for a few minutes on Interstate 290 in and out of the city, just east of the bridge over the Chicago River, around midnight, but the protest moved mostly between 18th Street and downtown, never going south of Cullerton or north of the Loop. 
 
 There were a few scuffles and one man, 22, was arrested after police said he struck an officer. Malcolm London, of the 4900 block of West Huron Street in the South Austin neighborhood, was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer. The rest of those arrested, about six people, were cited for obstructing traffic, police said. 
 
 Many of the marchers chanted "16 times," referring to the number of bullets fired by Officer Jason Van Dyke at Laquan McDonald, 17. A dash-cam video showing the shooting near 41st Street and Pulaski Road in October 2014 was released late Tuesday afternoon, hours after Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder. 
 
 Before the march, dozens of black activists gathered inside an art gallery just south of Halsted Street and Roosevelt Road to talk about the video. Fresco Steez of the Black Youth Project 100 later asked reporters to be aware of protesters' "raw" feelings. 
 
 "Tonight, what we're having is another instance of a killing, a public lynching of another young black man, so we're asking you to give us some space to process our feeling around that. ... Their feelings might be raw," Steez said. 
 
 Minutes later, the group emerged from the building, chanting. Activists later spilled into the streets, yelling in unison "16 times!" They called for an overhaul of the Chicago Police Department, demanded more resources for disenfranchised communities and scoffed at city officials' suggestions about how communities should react to the violent footage. 
 
 Protest in Chicago following release of dash-cam video shooting (Warning: Graphic language) Activists march through Chicago streets Nov. 24, 2015, following the release of a 2014 dash-cam video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald being fatally shot by Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) (Warning: Graphic language) Activists march through Chicago streets Nov. 24, 2015, following the release of a 2014 dash-cam video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald being fatally shot by Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) See more videos 
 
 The demonstrators, numbering about 150, were accompanied into the South Loop by a police escort on bicycles and in squad cars. At Roosevelt and State Street, protesters locked hands, enveloping several police cars. 
 
 As the crowd grew to more than 300, police blocked protesters from crossing the Balbo Drive bridge toward Columbus Drive, and there was a confrontation with police on bicycles. One officer fell beneath a bike, and a protester stomped on the bike. 
 
 At least three people were taken into custody, and one officer was taken to an ambulance. 
 
 After London was arrested, protesters tried to block the police SUV that was to take him to the Central District police station at 18th and State streets, about a mile south. The driver tried to back the SUV east on Balbo, with an officer banging on the back window to signal the driver when it was OK to step on the gas. 
 
 But the driver eventually went over a curb and doubled back to Indiana Avenue as officers tried to move protesters out of the way. 
 
 Laquan McDonald protesters clash with Chicago police Several protesters were arrested and one officer was hurt after a scuffle broke out during protests surrounding the shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Tony Briscoe / Chicago Tribune) Several protesters were arrested and one officer was hurt after a scuffle broke out during protests surrounding the shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Tony Briscoe / Chicago Tribune) See more videos 
 
 The demonstrators eventually marched away, winding down more streets to gather at the Central District station, blocking traffic along the way. 
 
 "People are mad as hell," said Page May, an organizer with We Charge Genocide. "It still feels so unnecessary." 
 
 May said the frustration stems from the public statements by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Garry McCarthy in the hours leading up to the video's release. Emanuel said the publication of the video — which he and city leaders tried to block for months — could start a healing process for many Chicagoans. 
 
 "It was disgusting to try to claim any sense of moral superiority at this moment," May said. "They're out there trying to do damage control. How are they going to hold accountable a system that allowed this to happen in the first place?" 
 
 Earlier Tuesday, parents and guardians of students in Chicago Public Schools received an email from Janice Jackson, the district's chief education officer, alerting them of the video's release. 
 
 "This footage is sure to raise many emotions among our children, and we want you to know that CPS will do everything possible to meet their needs," Jackson wrote. 
 
 The video will not be shown in schools but may be discussed in class, Jackson told parents. Teachers have received "a special toolkit" to help them talk to students about the incident. Counselors also will be available, the district said. 
 
 The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois released a statement regarding the video release, urging calm and asking for "productive discussion" about Chicago police interactions with the public. 
 
 "The anger and frustration expressed by many African-American residents of Chicago in viewing the video is understandable. Members of the African-American community have seen mistreatment and, sadly, violence at the hands of the police for too long in the city," the organization said in a release. "We hope that we can seize this moment to improve all aspects of policing, with a commitment toward creating better relations between the public and police. 
 
 Earlier Tuesday, outside a Burger King restaurant near where McDonald was shot, speakers called on McCarthy to resign or be fired. 
 
 "Superintendent McCarthy knew about this tape a year ago, but he never said anything about it," activist Tio Hardiman said. "The only reason they're speaking up now is because the judge ordered the tape to be released. This is hypocritical." 
 
 Others questioned the political motives behind the timing of Van Dyke being charged with murder and McCarthy pushing for the firing of Detective Dante Servin, who was unsuccessfully prosecuted for fatally shooting Rekia Boyd in 2012. 
 
 "If they felt (Van Dyke) should have been charged this morning, then they should have felt that way a year ago," activist Quovadis Green said. 
 
 Chicago Tribune's Juan Perez Jr. contributed. 
 
 cdrhodes@tribpub.com 
 
 tbriscoe@tribpub.com
– Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Chicago Tuesday night soon after police released disturbing video of a white police officer fatally shooting a black teenager, and the Chicago Sun-Times reports that they chanted "16"—the number of times Officer Jason Van Dyke allegedly shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. One tense moment occurred when protesters and police engaged in a "full-on pushing match" for about 15 minutes at one barricade, which resulted in three people taken away in a police wagon. But pleas for restraint were generally heeded throughout the night, reports AP. More demonstrations were planned in the days ahead, including one at City Hall on Wednesday and one designed to block Michigan Avenue on Friday's busy shopping day. Van Dyke was charged with murder on Tuesday, hours before police released video of the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting. Protesters say they're angered not just by the shooting, but by the police department's failure to release the video until a judge ordered it to—and by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy telling the community that the video should start a healing process, after they had spent so long trying to block its release. "People are mad as hell," organizer Page May with the We Charge Genocide anti-police violence group tells the Chicago Tribune. "It still feels so unnecessary."