Former Chicago officer sentenced 81 months prison for shooting teen

Former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was sentenced to 81 months in prison on Friday evening for the shooting death of African-American teen Laquan McDonald.

Van Dyke, shot McDonald, who was 17 years old, 16 times on October 20, 2014.

After a trial in October, Van Dyke was found guilty of murder as well as 16 counts of aggravated battery - one charge for each shot he fired at McDonald.

Dashcam video of the incident showed McDonald, who was high on the PCP drug at the time, refusing the officer's command to drop a knife as he walked down the street.

The sentencing in a Chicago courtroom began early Friday morning and lasted well into the evening before the judge handed down the sentence.

Prosecutors had sought a "significant amount of time" -- 18 to 20 years -- while Van Dyke's attorneys had asked for probation.

The Chicago Police Department "lost a great officer," Van Dyke's wife, Tiffany, said at Friday's sentencing hearing.

"I don't have my husband, my children don't have their father," she said. "My heart is broken."

Van Dyke’s 17-year-old older daughter took the stand earlier on Friday to blame the media for criticizing "police officers for doing their jobs".

She told the court she had written a school essay about the "harsh realities" of police work, and said officers do not care about race, "they care about your safety".

Defense attorney Dan Harmon said his client was "happy" with the verdict.

"He truly felt great. He was not just relieved. He was happy," Harmon said. "This was the first time I've seen the guy -- honestly since this whole ordeal started -- where he was happy."

For second-degree murder, Van Dyke's sentence could have stretched from probation up to 20 years. For aggravated battery with a firearm, he could have faced six to 30 years per charge.

Three Chicago police officers on Thursday were found not guilty of falsifying details to cover up the shooting.