Chicago officers accused in covering up the Laquan McDonald shooting death to stand trial

A trial is set to begin for one current and two former Chicago police officers accused of trying to cover up the Laquan McDonald shooting.

Nov 27, 2018
Laquan McDonald thegrio.com
FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2018 file photo, from left, former Detective David March, Chicago Police Officer Thomas Gaffney and former officer Joseph Walsh appear at a pre-trial hearing at Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Prosecutors have laid out their case against the three Chicago police officers accused of participating in a cover-up of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. The trial of officers charged with lying in their reports to protect Van Dyke is set to begin on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool File)

CHICAGO (AP) — A trial is set to begin for one current and two former Chicago police officers accused of trying to cover up what happened when a white officer fatally shot black teenager Laquan McDonald.

David March, Joseph Walsh and Thomas Gaffney are charged with felony conspiracy, misconduct and obstruction of justice after they allegedly falsified reports to protect Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot McDonald 16 times in October 2014.

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The trial starting Tuesday will feature the dashcam video that was instrumental in a jury finding Van Dyke guilty last month of second-degree murder and aggravated battery.

With the video, prosecutors plan to show that the 17-year-old McDonald wasn’t trying to attack Van Dyke when he was shot and wasn’t as threatening or aggressive as officers portrayed him in their reports.

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