Video Of Officer Jason Van Dyke Shooting Chicago Teen Laquan McDonald 16 Times

Long-awaited video that captured the final violent moments of Laquan McDonald — a black Chicago teen cut down in a hail of police bullets — was finally released Tuesday as authorities pleaded for peace.

The 13-second clip starts with 17-year-old McDonald crumpling to the ground after Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is white, fired at him for the first time.

Then for several seconds all that can be seen is the teen's supine body jerking as the officer emptied his clip -- 16 bullets -- into his body on Oct. 20, 2014.

Two of the bullets lodged in McDonald’s back.

Authorities say McDonald was armed with a 3-inch knife when Van Dyke, 37, confronted him.

The teen did not comply with "numerous police orders to drop the knife," the officer's attorney, Daniel Herbert, told the Chicago Tribune.

No audio was caught on the grainy video, but the actions of both Van Dyke and McDonald are clear.

McDonald, who had been accused of breaking into parked trucks near Pulaski Road and 41st St., was walking along the road when Van Dyke and his partner pulled up in a cop car, according to court records.

McDonald moved away from them, headed west, police said.

Van Dyke exited the car and took a step toward the teen — who was at least 10 feet away, a knife in his right hand.

In that moment, McDonald’s arm jerks and his body spins around, and he hits the ground.

Van Dyke takes one more step toward the teen, and out of the camera frame.

McDonald is lying on his right side as two puffs of smoke caught on video show two bullets hitting him.

He still hasn’t moved from where he fell and at 9:57 p.m. the dash cam catches the puff of the final bullet striking him.

In the 13 seconds he is on the ground, his body jerks and his arms moved slightly.

Van Dyke is struggling to reload his gun in the video as his partner walks up to kick the knife out of McDonald’s limp hand, the papers said.

The video was released by the city a day before the deadline set by a judge to make it public.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other officials had resisted — fearing it would spark unrest like that witnessed in Ferguson, Mo., over the police shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown.

“Know that this moment does not speak to who we are and what we can become,” Emanuel said at a lengthy press conference with police before the video went public.

He pleaded with Chicago’s community leaders to maintain order and control of any protests that resulted from viewing the incendiary video.

“My heart goes out to the McDonald family on their loss. The McDonald family has asked for calm ... let (Laquan’s) legacy be better than that,” he said.

“I understand people will be upset and will want to protest when they see this video. It is fine to be passionate, but it is essential it remain peaceful,” the mayor said.

The Chicago Police Department ordered most of its force into uniform and warned them of potentially longer hours and canceled days off in preparation of unrest, The Chicago Tribute said.

Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder McDonald’s death earlier Tuesday.

“Jason Van Dyke does not represente the police department, because I can give you chapter and verse ... .on officers who every day go out not just to protect but to serve,” Emanuel stressed.

Earlier in the day, Cook County State Attorney Anita Alvarez defended the amount of time it took to charge Van Dyke in McDonald’s shooting death.

Cases involving police officers present "highly complex" legal issues and there was no desire to "rush to judgment,” she said.

The video was likely to repulse all who saw it, she warned.

"It is graphic. It is violent. It is chilling," she said of the video.

"To watch a 17-year-old young man die in such a violent manner is deeply disturbing. I have absolutely no doubt that this video will tear at the hearts of all Chicagoans."

An attorney for Jason Van Dyke says his client didn’t do anything wrong.

Van Dyke had worked for the police department in a "limited duty position" as investigators probed the 2014 shooting death.

As of Tuesday, Van Dyke was no longer on the city payroll, Emanuel said.