A truck driver who called 911 took the witness stand and described fighting off a knife-wielding man moments before Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shot Laquan McDonald.

16 Shots

Ep 17: The Initial Call

In October of 2014, a white police officer fatally shot a black teenager on the streets of Chicago. The shooting of Laquan McDonald was captured on video, and sparked outrage across the city. Chicago's top cop was fired, the local state’s attorney was voted out, and the feds were sent in to investigate the culture at the police department. Now, the police officer at the center of the shooting, Jason Van Dyke, will stand trial for murder. WBEZ and the Chicago Tribune look at how Van Dyke and McDonald intersected that night nearly four years ago, the alleged cover-up of the shooting, and examine the long history of friction between African-Americans and the Chicago Police Department. And we’ll follow the trial — bringing you insight, context, and analysis.

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16 Shots