>> A NEW SHOWTIME DOCUMENTARY
TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT THE
OCTOBER 2014 SHOOTING DEATH OF
17-YEAR-OLD LAQUAN McDONALD BY
FORMER CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER
JASON VAN DYKE.
AND IT LOOKS AT THE POLITICAL
FIRESTORM THAT FOLLOWED.
>> UNTIL THE VIDEO OF THIS
HORRIFIC SHOOTING WAS RELEASED,
THERE IS A ZERO CHANCE OF POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN OUR
HISTORY THAT AN ON DUTY CHICAGO
POLICE OFFICER HAD EVER BEEN
CHARGED WITH KILLING A BLACK
MAN, WOMAN OR CHILD.
>> NAMED AFTER THE NUMBER OF
BULLETS FIRED, THE "16 SHOTS"
FEATURES INTERVIEWS AND
ATTORNEYS FOR THE McDONALD
FAMILY AND VAN DYKE AND INPUT
FROM THE ACTIVISTS AND
JOURNALISTS WHO BROUGHT THE
STORY TO LIGHT.
AND JOINING US IS THE DIRECTOR
AND WRITER OF "16 SHOTS" RICK
ROWLEY WHO DIRECTED THE FILM
DIRTY WARS NOMINATED FOR THE
ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE IN 2013.
RICK ROWLEY WELCOME TO "CHICAGO
TONIGHT."
HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN
THIS SUBJECT FOR A DOCUMENTARY?
>> I WAS IN CHICAGO FILMING ON
ANOTHER PROJECT AND I MET JAMIE
KALVEN AFTER THE VIDEO WAS
RELEASED AND HE WROTE THE FIRST
ARTICLES ABOUT THIS WHEN HE
UNSPOOLED EVERYTHING THAT WAS
REVEALED AND IT WAS AN
EXCEPTIONAL CASE.
WE ARE IN A MOMENT OF NATIONAL
RECKONING AROUND RACE AND
INJUSTICE AND THE CASE CUTS TO
THE HEART OF THAT.
WE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CASE THAN
KNOWN ABOUT ANY OTHER POLICE
SHOOTING IN HISTORY.
>> AND YOU INTERVIEW A LOT OF
THE CENTRAL FIGURES SOME PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN LOATHE TO TALK
ABOUT THIS.
WAS IT DIFFICULT TO GET THE
INTERVIEWS?
>> I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW OPEN
AND WILLING PEOPLE WERE TO
ENGAGE AND I FELT INCREDIBLY
LUCKY.
WE TALKED TO PEOPLE ON ALL SIDES
OF THE STORY AND PRESENTED
HONESTLY OUR INTENTION WHICH WAS
NOT --
WE DON'T WANT TO REDUCE EITHER
SIDE WE ARE TRYING TO YOU HAD
HOW THE INSTITUTIONS AND THE
GROUPS FUNNION.
>> AND THE INTERVIEW THAT OPENS
THE FILM IS THE FORMER FOP
SPOKESPERSON PAT CAMDEN WHO ON
THE SCENE THAT NIGHT GAVE THE
INITIAL NARRATIVE FALSE
NARRATIVE THAT WE LEARNED ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED.
TELL US ABOUT THAT INTERVIEW?
>> IN MANY WAYS THIS STORY IS A
STORY ABOUT A BATTLE BETWEEN
NARRATIVES.
FOR THE MOMENT FROM THAT LAQUAN
McDONALD WAS SHOT TO THE
VERDICT ITSELF, THERE IS A SET
OF FACTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND A
DEBATE OVER THE STORIES.
AND IT'S THE JOB TO FRAME THE
NARRATIVE FROM THE BEGINNING AND
HE IS UP FRONT ABOUT THAT.
HE SAYS THE POLICE HAVE TO BE
THE FIRST TO COME OUT WITH A
STORY BEFORE ANYONE ELSE HAS A
CHANCE TO SO THEY CAN CONTROL
THE NARRATIVE.
AND HE HAS BEEN THE SPOKESMAN
FOR 500 POLICE INVOLVED
SHOOTINGS IN HIS CAREER AND YOU
SEE CLIPS IN THE SECTION WHERE
HE TELLS THE SAME STORY OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
>> AND HE GETS ANNOYED WITH THE
INTERVIEWER WHEN THEY BRING THAT
UP TO HIM.
>> EXACTLY.
IT'S ALMOST SEEMS LOOK A SCRIPT
UP FOLDS.
BUT NOT JUST WITH HIM IT IS A
SCRIPT THAT IS PICKS UP AND
REPLICATED IN THE MEDIA AND IT
BECOMES A PART OF THE DISCOURSE.
>> LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER CLIP
HERE IS ONE FEATURING FORMER
CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT
GARRY McCARTHY AND LAQUAN
McDONALD'S GREAT UNCLE
REVEREND MARVIN HUNTER.
>> I'M SORRY BUT THAT IS A
THREAT.
IF SOMEBODY GETS NEAR YOU WITHIN
21 FEET OF YOU WITH AN OPEN
KNIFE, YOU CAN DIE.
>> AS YOU SAW AND I'VE SEEN,
LAQUAN McDONALD WAS MURDERED.
HIS FAMILY WANTS JUSTICE TO BE
SERVED AND JUSTICE FOR US IS
JASON VAN DYKE BEING CONVICTED
OF THE MURDER OF LAQUAN
McDONALD.
>> JAMIE KALVEN YOU MENTIONED
WAS THE JOURNALIST THAT GOT THIS
GOING AND HE SAID IN THE
BEGINNING HE READY WITH THE --
READ ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND
FLIPPED THE PAGE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT
SPARKED THE LOOK INTO THIS?
>> IT IS ONE OF THE ENDURING
MYSTERIES OF THIS CASE.
THERE ARE 30-60 POLICE SHOOTING
A YEAR IN CHICAGO.
A SHOOTING EVERY WEEK OR EVERY
OTHER WEEK AND HOW MANY OF THOSE
NAMES DO WE KNOW?
AND IT WAS A WHOLE HOST OF
PEOPLE STEPPING FORWARD AND
BREAKING THROUGH THIS WALL OF
SILENCE THAT IS BUILT AROUND THE
CASE.
WHISTLE BLOWERS AND CIVILIAN
WITNESSES DESCRIBING BEING
THREATENED BY POLICE OFFICERS
AND WHO SPOKE TO US ON CAMERA.
THERE IS THE ACTIVIST WHO SUED
TO FORCE THE VIDEO TO BE
RELEASED WHEN EVERYONE ELSE HAD
GIVEN UP A SUSTAINED PRESSURE
AND ATTENTION THAT LASTED FOUR
YEARS.
>> AND THE CIVILIAN WITNESSES
AND THEY TALK ABOUT BEING
INTERVIEWED BY DETECTIVES THEY
SAY THE DETECTIVES URGED THEM TO
LIE ABOUT THE CASE.
TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> ALMA IN PARTICULAR SHE WAS ON
THE SCENE IN FRONT OF THE BURGER
KING WHERE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED
AND SAW THE WHOLE THING.
AND SHE SAID DESCRIBES IN DETAIL
SHE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO POLICE
HEADQUARTERS QUESTIONED FOR
HOURS ALL NIGHT LONG UNTIL 3:00
A.M.
THEY KEPT BADGERING HER TELLING
HER SHE DID NOT HEAR HOW MANY
SHOTS SHE HEARD AND BROUGHT UP
THE VIDEO AND SAYING WE HAVE
VIDEO AND THE VIDEO CONTRADICTS
YOUR STATEMENT.
>> LYING ABOUT IT?
>> LYING ABOUT IT, AND THE VIDEO
CORROBORATED HER STATEMENT.
AND THEN TOLD HER IT'S NOT GOOD
TO LIE AND SHE WAS BEING
QUESTIONED BECAUSE SHE MIGHT END
UP GOING TO JAIL FOR PERJURY.
>> AND YOU INTERVIEWED CAROL
MARIN IN THE STORY.
ESPECIALLY HER STORY HOW POLICE
WENT INTO THE BURGER KING AND
SCRUBBED ABOUT TWO HOURS PLUS OF
VIDEO.
DID THAT GET RESOLVED WHAT
HAPPENED THERE?
>> THERE WERE A LOT OF AMAZING
JOURNALISTS IN CHICAGO WHO
BLAZED THE TRAIL WHICH IS WHY WE
KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SHOOTING
THAN WE KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER
SHOOTINGS IN HISTORY.
CAROL MARIN ONE OF HER BIG
REVELATIONS WAS THAT 87 MINUTES
WERE ERASED FROM THE
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS IN THE
BURGER KING.
>> AN HOUR-AND-A-HALF.
>> COVERED THE TIME THAT THE
SHOOTING HAPPENED AND WE CALLED
THE ENGINEERS WHO INSTALL THE
SYSTEMS AND THAT IS NOT A THING
THAT CAN HAPPEN.
NOT ONLY WERE THE ORIGINAL
COPIES ERASED BUT THERE ARE
BACKUPS THAT ARE THERE.
AND SOMEONE TOOK THEM OUT.
>> TO A T ALL IN THE CASE
BELIEVE THAT MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL
COVERED THE VIDEO OR HID THE
VIDEO OF THE SHOOTING UNTIL
AFTER HE WAS REELECTED.
DO YOU BELIEVE IT WAS A COVER UP
ON HIS PART?
>> THERE IS NO QUESTION IT WAS A
COVER UP.
THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS THAT
REMAIN.
THE MAYOR NOW SAYS THAT HE DID
NOT SEE THE VIDEO UNTIL AFTER IT
WAS RELEASED PUBLICLY.
WHETHER HE IS LYING ABOUT WHEN
HE SAW IT OR BEING DEEPLY
DISHONEST BY PRETENDING HE DID
NOT KNOW HOW SEVERE THE CASE IS
THAT IS THE ONLY QUESTION.
WE KNOW HIS TEAM HAD THE VIDEO
HE HAD THE VIDEO HIS TEAM HAD
SEEN IT.
THEY WERE WORRIED AND CONCERNED
ABOUT IT.
AND THE CORPORATION COUNSEL WAS
SENT OUT TO PAY A $5 MILLION
SETTLEMENT BEFORE THERE WAS A
LAWSUIT TO DELAY THE VIDEO
RELEASE UNTIL AFTER HE WON
REELECTION.
>> AND THE INTERVIEW WITH ANITA
ALVAREZ SHE CALLED YOU UP AND
WANTED ANOTHER INTERVIEW AFTER
SHE LEFT OFFICE.
WHAT DID SHE SAY ABOUT RAHM
EMANUEL?
>> ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT
FOLLOWING THE STORY FOR THREE
YEARS.
WE GOT TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE AT
MULTIPLE POINTS.
ALVAREZ WAS THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
AND AFTER SHE IS OUSTED FROM
POWER SHE MIGHT BE WILLING TO
SPEAK MORE OPENLY.
SHE IS CERTAIN THE MAYOR SAW THE
VIDEO BEFOREHAND.
I DON'T WANT TO PRETEPID LIKE
RAHM EMANUEL IS A BAD GUY IS THE
EVIL PERSON AT THE CENTER OF
THIS.
>> SHE ALSO BELIEVES THAT
EMANUEL POLITICALLY WAS GOING TO
TRY AND BLAME HER FOR THE WHOLE
THING?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, EVERYONE SEES THEMSELVES
AS A FALL GUY IN THIS.
LIKE GARRY McCARTHY WAS FIRED
IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS AND HE
CLAIMS HE WAS A FALL GUY TAKING
FALL FOR THIS.
AND ALVAREZ, THE POLITICAL
ESTABLISHMENT DID NOT BACK HER
UP AND SHE LOST HER REELECTION
BID AND SEES HERSELF BEING
THROWN UNDER THE BUS.
>> DID YOU TRY TO INTERVIEW RAHM
EMANUEL?
>> TRIED CONSTANTLY WE SPENT A
YEAR SITTING IN HIS PRESS
PERSON'S OFFICE TRYING TO
CONVINCE HIM THAT IT WAS GOOD TO
GO ON CAMERA.
THAT IS --
THAT KIND OF LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY TO REFUSE TO
ADDRESS AT ALL THE MOST PRESSING
STORY IN YOUR CITY AT THE TIME?
IT WAS REALLY SHOCKING TO US
ACTUALLY.
>> WHAT IS THE TAKEAWAY FOR THE
NATION?
>> I MEAN, THESE ISSUES AROUND
RACE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARE
NOT JUST UNFOLDING IN CHICAGO.
EVERY MAJOR CITY IN AMERICA IS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS RECKONING.
BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF CHICAGO
JOURNALISTS AND THE SUSTAINED
COMMUNITY ATTENTION THAT HAS
BROUGHT TRANSPARENCY IT ALLOWS
US TO SEE STEP-BY-STEP HOW THIS
SYSTEM WORKS THAT THE MAKES THE
CASES DISAPPEAR.
IT DOESN'T WORK EVERYWHERE.
AND ALSO, THIS IS AN
UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT ON SO MANY
LEVELS.
THE FIRST TIME IN THE 180-YEAR
HISTORY OF THE CHICAGO POLICE
DEPARTMENT THAT AN OFFICER HAS
BEEN CHARGED WITH MURDERING A
BLACK CITIZEN AND THEY WERE
CONVICTED.
AS WILL CALLAWAY SAYS THEY WERE
CONVICTED BY A MOSTLY WHITE JURY
IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE NATION.
IT IS AN UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT.
AND A MOMENT THAT IN APROCESS
THAT EVERYONE SHOULD LEARN FROM.