Chicago Police Officer Goes On Trial For Murder Of Black Teen

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, center, attends a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, in Chicago. Jury selection begins today in Van Dyke’s murder trial for the 2014 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Antonio Perez / AP

Jury selection begins Wednesday in the murder trial for Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. The officer, who is white, is accused of killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who is black, as he walked down the middle of a city street holding a knife.

The case has come to embody many of the political and racial tensions that grip the city, and the massive distrust between communities of color and police. In fact, one protest chant has become a mantra in the case: “Sixteen shots and a cover-up.”

It references the 2014 shooting of McDonald and the city’s delayed response to questions about what happened.