Laquan McDonald Shooting: Date Set For Chicago Cop's Murder Trial

CHICAGO, IL — A date has been set for the trial of a Chicago police officer accused of fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. Jason Van Dyke's trial is scheduled for Sept. 5, but there are still questions about the location and the handling of the proceedings, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery, a count for each time McDonald was shot. He also faces a count of official misconduct.

Although a trial date has been set, Dan Herbert, Van Dyke's lawyer, filed a motion in March to move the proceedings to another county. The motion stated that a venue change from Cook County was needed because remarks about Van Dyke by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and others were the equivalent of a "public execution." A hearing to decide where the trial will be held will most likely happen in August.

Despite the motion, Van Dyke's lawyers have yet to decide whether their client will have a jury or a bench trial, the Tribune reports. If the defense chooses a jury trial, it would break precedent as Chicago police officers facing misconduct charges usually go before a judge in their cases, the report added.

Patch's Coverage of the Laquan McDonald Case:

5 Perspectives on '16 Shots: The Death of Laquan McDonald': A ward of the state, shot dead on a Chicago street. A teen who loved his teachers. A mayor who won't lead. Questions no one will answer.

Chicago Cop Accused Of Killing Teen Faces New Charges: Ofc. Jason Van Dyke now faces 16 counts of aggravated battery stemming from the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old in 2014.

3 Chicago Cops Indicted In Alleged Cover-Up Of Shooting:The special prosecutor accuses the trio of doing more than obeying a "code of silence" surrounding the shooting investigation.

Laquan McDonald Case: No More Police Indictments, Prosecutor Says: The grand jury investigating an alleged Chicago police cover-up in the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old has been dismissed.

Cop's Trial In Laquan McDonald Shooting To Start In Summer, Judge Says: But the judge presiding over Chicago police Ofc. Jason Van Dyke's murder trial hasn't chosen a specific date for proceedings to begin.

Laquan McDonald Case: Summer Trial Presumptuous, Lawyer Says: The lawyer for Van Dyke said rulings still need to be made on various motions before the murder can begin.

No Fair Trial In Cook Co. For Cop In Laquan McDonald Case: Motion: Van Dyke wants a change of venue for his upcoming trial, according to a motion that was unsealed this week.

Van Dyke's murder trial stems from the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting of McDonald during an incident on the South Side. Initial police reports claimed the teen was swinging a knife and lunging at Van Dyke before the officer opened fire.

But a police dashboard camera told a different story. In the video, McDonald is not seen as aggressively moving toward Van Dyke, and instead, he's seen walking away from Van Dyke when he is shot 16 times. Officers at the shooting are accused of signing reports that stated a knife-wielding McDonald advanced toward police before he was shot.

More via the Chicago Tribune

Lawyer Dan Herbert (left) and his client, Chicago police Ofc. Jason Van Dyke leave the courtroom in 2015. (Photo by Zbigniew Bzdak-Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images)