Live Van Dyke trial blog: Defense rests, closing arguments are ready for Thursday

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Jason Van Dyke's defense lawyers put their case on hold on Wednesday, a day after the Chicago police officer who shot Lacan Laquan McDonald appeared at the helm in his own murder trial.

A few seconds after the start of the hearing, the defense rested and the prosecutors began summoning defense witnesses. A few minutes later, the evidence of the prosecution and the rebuttal of the defense ended.

Closing arguments must begin Thursday.

For almost three weeks of trial, the defense has called more than 17 witnesses, including Van Dyke himself. McDonald, a black teenager armed with a knife, presented a threat when the white policeman Van Dyke has on him.

The lawyers said that Van Dyke should never have been charged with murder because of an Illinois law that protects peace officers who try to arrest fugitives on the run. .

Van Dyke was charged with six counts of first degree murder more than a year after shooting McDonald's on the southwestern side of the city. He pleaded not guilty.

The shooting provoked massive demonstrations across the city and catapulted Chicago into the limelight of the national scene.

Special prosecutors suspended their case against Van Dyke on Thursday after calling 24 witnesses for more than three and a half days.

Follow live from the audience room below:

10:15 After the close of tomorrow's proceedings, the jury will receive their instructions and then deliberate on the fate of Jason Van Dyke.

10:11: The prosecution and the defense complete the witness's rejoinder in the Jason Van Dyke case. Closing arguments scheduled for tomorrow morning.

10:09: During cross-examination, defense attorney Dan Herbert pointed out that Cook County Sheriff's policy was to provide assistance. But Murphy does not have that night. Herbert went on to point out that the CPD's policy is not to make CPR available to victims because they are not trained medical personnel.

10:06: The first witness to appear is Adam Murphy, a Cook County officer who testified on September 18 and heard Laquan McDonald's last breath. He returns to the bar and testifies to the amount of blood he saw on the ground that night.

9:58: The defense is based on the trial of the murder of Jason Van Dyke. Then the prosecution will summon defense witnesses.

Summary of the trial