CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on the murder trial of white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald (all times local):
11:55 a.m.
Testimony in the murder trial of a white Chicago police officer in the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald has concluded.
Defense attorneys did not call any witnesses Wednesday . But they rolled out and put into evidence the squad car tire that McDonald stabbed with a knife before Officer Jason Van Dyke arrived and shot him 16 times.
Prosecutors read into the record what Van Dyke told Chicago police Detective David March shortly after the shooting. That includes a statement that Van Dyke made that McDonald had raised a knife at him and kept pointing at him even after he was shot and fell to the ground. The video shows no such actions by the teen.
Testimony wrapped day after the officer himself took the stand, at times becoming defiant as he said that what he saw did not unfold the way it did on dashcam video.
Closing arguments are set for Thursday.
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10:30 a.m.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors in the case of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald have rested their cases.
Officer Jason Van Dyke’s attorneys rested first Wednesday without calling anymore witnesses. Prosecutors then called one rebuttal witness and rested a short time later.
Attorneys will return to court on Thursday to give their closing arguments to the jury.
The quiet ending of the trial came a day after explosive testimony from Van Dyke in which the officer maintained that squad car video didn’t show his perspective. He contended that he saw the teen raise a knife at him. Video does not show that. Van Dyke also said McDonald tried to get up after he fell to the ground when he was shot. The video does not support that.
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12:30 a.m.
Attorneys for the Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald are expected to rest their case.
Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan said late Tuesday that Officer Jason Van Dyke’s attorneys will rest their case Wednesday morning. After that, prosecutors will have a chance to call rebuttal witnesses.
Closing arguments could come as soon as Thursday.
Van Dyke testified Tuesday. He fought back tears at times and later turned defiant when questioned by prosecutors who pointed out that video of the 2014 shooting didn’t match his account of what happened.
He said he opened fire when McDonald kept advancing toward him while waving a knife. He said the shooting video “doesn’t show my perspective.”
Van Dyke, who is white, shot the black teenager 16 times.
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