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Chicago will soon see how Laquan McDonald died. Be passionate. Be peaceful.

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Chicagoans have waited 13 months to see for themselves how a police officer killed Laquan McDonald, and sometime in the next few days, they will finally get that chance. But they will have to keep waiting to find out what will happen to the cop who shot him.

On Thursday, Cook County Circuit Judge Franklin Valderrama ordered the city to release a police dashboard cam video of the incident. Police responding to a complaint found McDonald, a 17-year-old African-American who had the drug PCP in his system, holding a knife and behaving erratically.

He reportedly ignored orders to drop the weapon and he walked down the street, with the cops following him. Finally, Officer Jason Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times, inflicting fatal wounds. None of the other five officers discharged their weapons.

At the time, a Fraternal Order of Police spokesman said the officer fired only after McDonald lunged at him with the knife. But the city quickly decided to settle with his family for $5 million rather than risk going to court. Now everyone will get a good look at what induced Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city’s lawyers to make that decision — which the City Council approved without a dissenting vote.

A Cook County medical examiner's document details the wounds to Laquan McDonald, 17, who died Oct. 20, 2014, after being shot by police. A judge has ruled that a video of the shooting should be made public.
A Cook County medical examiner’s document details the wounds to Laquan McDonald, 17, who died Oct. 20, 2014, after being shot by police. A judge has ruled that a video of the shooting should be made public.

There is wide concern that the stark video will provoke violent protests in Chicago. But it should be released — should have been months ago.

The case illustrates why it’s so important for police to make greater use of video, an invaluable tool to prevent police abuses, document when cops handle themselves well, refute false accusations and furnish valuable evidence for criminal inquiries. The Chicago police have a pilot program using body cams and plan to expand it next year.

The city argued that the premature release of the video could compromise ongoing investigations. But after the judge’s ruling, the Emanuel administration wisely gave up the fight and promised to comply. “Police officers are entrusted to uphold the law, and to provide safety to our residents,” Emanuel said in a statement. “In this case unfortunately, it appears an officer violated that trust at every level.”

So why is that officer still on the force? Van Dyke was stripped of his police powers and placed on desk duty after the episode and remains there, but his future is still up in the air.

State and federal prosecutors are still investigating. When a criminal probe is underway, the standard practice is for the city’s Independent Police Review Authority to postpone its own inquiry to avoid interfering. If prosecutors decide to charge Van Dyke, IPRA will hold off until the case is resolved. If no criminal charge is brought, the review authority will proceed to determine what if any discipline is in order. The delay is frustrating, but it does make sense.

Van Dyke’s lawyer said Friday that the officer handled a dangerous encounter appropriately and that the video doesn’t tell the whole story. Maybe he’s right. But when it is released, it will give the people of Chicago the opportunity to judge for themselves. They will react passionately, and we hope peacefully.