the knife. i yelled i don t know how many times. reporter: laquan mcdonald s uncle today delivering a message to the former cop in the voice of his dead nephew. why should this person who has ended my life forever be free when i m dead forever? reporter: van dyke s wife also taking the stand pleading for leniency. there was no malice, no hatred on that night. it was simply a man doing his job. reporter: van dyke, the final person to speak before the judge s decision. the last thing i ever wanted to do especially on october 20, 2014, was to shoot laquan mcdonald. david, van dyke could face up to 96 years behind bars. the judge, as you heard there, senting him to 81 months. less than seven years. the judge in a case like this has a lot of discretion. so many in this city have been waiting years for this decision. david? alex perez tonight. thank you. there is new reporting after