In the end, after deliberating for about 7½ hours, they settled on second-degree murder, finding that Van Dyke was frightened when he fired his gun but that his fear was unreasonable.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors highlighted how other officers involved in the incident operated with restraint, content to let McDonald walk away while they waited for backup cops with a Taser to arrive at the scene. One officer, in fact, trailed McDonald on foot for about half a mile over several blocks, never threatening to shoot. Van Dyke, however, opened fire just six seconds after stepping out of his squad car with his gun drawn. The car with the Taser arrived at the scene 20 seconds after he stopped shooting.
Van Dyke told the jury that he was forced to make a split-second decision to shoot McDonald because the teen posed a threat and ignored commands to drop the knife.
But on cross-examination, he was unable to explain how he could have seen McDonald raise the knife moments before he opened fire when the video didn’t show it.
Whatever drug he was on is irrelevant. The trial really makes one wonder just how much mischief officers get up to when there isn't video footage available to verify that they are lying. (And now, we're entering a deepfakes world... )
@JustIntoxicated More details here.
> In the end, after deliberating for about 7½ hours, they settled on second-degree murder, finding that Van Dyke was frightened when he fired his gun but that his fear was unreasonable.
> Throughout the trial, prosecutors highlighted how other officers involved in the incident operated with restraint, content to let McDonald walk away while they waited for backup cops with a Taser to arrive at the scene. One officer, in fact, trailed McDonald on foot for about half a mile over several blocks, never threatening to shoot. Van Dyke, however, opened fire just six seconds after stepping out of his squad car with his gun drawn. The car with the Taser arrived at the scene 20 seconds after he stopped shooting.
> Van Dyke told the jury that he was forced to make a split-second decision to shoot McDonald because the teen posed a threat and ignored commands to drop the knife.
> But on cross-examination, he was unable to explain how he could have seen McDonald raise the knife moments before he opened fire when the video didn’t show it.
Whatever drug he was on is irrelevant. The trial really makes one wonder just how much mischief officers get up to when there isn't video footage available to verify that they are lying. (And now, we're entering a deepfakes world... )
@JustIntoxicated More details here.
Whatever drug he was on is irrelevant. The trial really makes one wonder just how much mischief officers get up to when there isn't video footage available to verify that they are lying. (And now, we're entering a deepfakes world... )