What to Know
- A petition for a writ of mandamus asks the Illinois Supreme Court to review whether Van Dyke's 81-month sentence was "proper under the law"
- Judge Vincent Gaughan last month sentenced Van Dyke to nearly seven years in prison for second-degree murder
- The filing argued the judge should instead impose a sentence on each of the 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm
A year ago, filmmaker Richard Rowley was able to sell to the cable network Showtime a documentary about the 2014 fatal shooting of Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald by police officer Jason Van Dyke.
When the filming of "Blue Wall" was finished, there was no trial date set for Van Dyke, Lori Lightfoot was a local lawyer holding public meetings on police reform, and Rahm Emanuel was considered a lock to run for a third term as mayor. Rowley convinced Showtime to allow additional filming.
Renamed "16 Shots," Rowley's documentary now includes scenes from inside the courtroom, exultant community activists outside City Hall as Van Dyke's guilty verdict is read and a somber post-trial interview with the ex-cop's lawyer.
Rowley said the extra filming made "16 Shots" a much better movie. The collaboration with Chicago journalist Jamie Kalven will have its premiere showing Tuesday at the University of Chicago. It will air on Showtime on June 14.
