Video of a Chicago Police officer firing 16 shots at 17-year-old Laquan McDonald touched off demonstrations across the city but the images were not enough for a Cook County judge to order the officer held without bail pending trial. Van Dyke has been locked up since Nov. 24, when prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. “The law gives a presumption of innocence,” Panarese said after setting Van Dyke’s bail at $1.5 million. He also says Van Dyke "absolutely" can defend his actions in court. The mayor’s panel — “actively engaging a range of community members” — is expected to present recommendations to the mayor and the City Council by March 31, 2016. The judge ordered Dean be held at least until a Tuesday bond hearing. The dashcam video of the shooting on Oct. 20, 2014, was made public last week just a few hours after the officer was charged.
– The Chicago police officer charged with killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald has paid his $150,000 bond and walked out of jail, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. A judge set bail for officer Jason Van Dyke at $1.5 million earlier in the day. Meanwhile, authorities have released the dashcam video that shows Van Dyke repeatedly shooting McDonald on Nov. 24 on the southwest side of Chicago, the AP reports. And in related news, the University of Chicago will re-open tomorrow after police arrested 21-year-old Jabari Dean with allegedly threatening to murder 16 white male staff or students at the school. The school had shut down after an online threat was posted Sunday night. (A Burger King manager says 86 minutes of the "Laquan video" have gone missing.)