Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke has denied murder over the death of black teenager Laquan McDonald, who was shot 16 times in 2014.
Jason Van Dyke was heckled as he arrived at court where he denied six counts of first-degree murder.
Video released earlier this year showing the shooting of Laquan McDonald sparked an outcry and the resignation of the chief of police.
A federal investigation into Chicago’s police is under way amid a national debate about the police use of force.
The inquiry will explore whether race plays a part in the police use of force and whether officers are properly held accountable.
Laquan McDonald, who was 17 at the time, was armed with a knife when he was stopped by police.
The dashcam footage showed him moving away from police when Officer Jason Van Dyke opened fire.
Days of protests followed the release of the video, which President Barack Obama said was “disturbing”.
There were calls for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy quit his job.
On December 26, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city “deserved answers” after a police officer accidentally shot and killed a 55-year-old woman when responding to a domestic disturbance.
Chicago police “accidentally struck and tragically killed” a mother of five after responding to a domestic disturbance, department officials say.
Bettie Jones, 55, was killed along with her neighbor, 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who was the reason for the police call-out on December 26.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said an investigation had been launched.
The city’s police department is already the subject of a federal investigation over its use of force.
It follows the killing of a black teenager by a white officer in 2014.
Photo WFLD-TV
December 26 double shooting happened in the early hours. Antonio LeGrier told the Chicago Sun-Times that he had returned home to find his son, who had mental health issues, in an agitated state.
Antonio LeGrier said he called the police, and warned his neighbor Bettie Jones, who lived on the floor below, about what was going on.
When the police arrived, the man said, he heard gunshots and found his son and Bettie Jones lying in the foyer.
Chicago Police Department said in a statement that “upon arrival, officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer’s weapon, fatally wounding two individuals.
“The 55-year-old female victim was accidentally struck and tragically killed. The department extends its deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, in a statement, said: “Anytime an officer uses force the public deserves answers, and regardless of the circumstances, we all grieve anytime there is a loss of life in our city.”
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced earlier this month that a federal investigation into the Chicago Police Department would focus on whether there was a racial dimension to its use of force and its accountability procedures for officers involved in the use of force.
According to the Better Government Association, Chicago police shot 240 people between 2010 and 2014, or about one per week. Seventy of those people died and of those, two-thirds were African American.
Loretta Lynch’s announcement came after weeks of protest which followed the release of video footage, showing the moment a police officer opened fire on 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, shooting him 16 times, in 2014.
Chicago authorities have released a dashboard camera video showing a white police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times in the city in 2014.
Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder for killing Laquan McDonald, 17. Police say the teenager refused to drop a knife.
Jason Van Dyke said through his lawyer and police union he had feared for his life.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has appealed for calm in the city.
After the video was released, several hundred people held a march in Chicago, blocking traffic. During a tense but largely peaceful demonstration the crowd chanted “16 shots”.
Police use of excessive force against African Americans has been the subject of nationwide protests for months.
Chicago has been preparing for possible protests ahead of the release the police dashcam video.
In Minneapolis on November 23, one of those protests was marred by violence when three white men opened fire at a rally, injuring five people.
In the Chicago case, a post-mortem examination showed Laquan McDonald had been shot at least twice in the back.
State lawyer Anita Alvarez said Jason Van Dyke had not been justified in shooting Laquan McDonald.
She said Laquan McDonald had been carrying a knife when he was stopped by police in 2014 but had not been threatening them or moving towards them.
Jason Van Dyke opened fire seconds after he arrived and continued shooting at the teenager as he lay on the ground, the lawyer added.
“While we expect officers to do their jobs… there are a few bad apples who go too far and break the law,” she said.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has said the video is “very troubling” and he expects a strong public reaction, though he hopes it will be “thoughtful and peaceful”.
The police union in Chicago had opposed the release of the video and said it would taint a trial jury.
Chicago police say Laquan McDonald threatened officers with a knife and slashed the tires and windows of a patrol car.
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