Officers, Activists Put together for Launch of Video in Police Capturing of Adam Toledo – NBC Chicago

A group of activists gathered in downtown Chicago on Wednesday after the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability announced it would release video and other material related to the fatal shooting of Adam Toledo.

COPA said in a press release that it will release the materials Thursday, less than three weeks after a Chicago police officer fatally shot the 13-year-old.

The video will be available at this link when it is published.

Protesters gathered near Federal Plaza in Chicago calling for massive changes in the aftermath of the shootings.

“Whose child is next? Is it me is it him? Or one of your children, ”said activist Troy Gaston.

COPA announces that it will release body camera footage, third-party video, OEMC broadcasts, ShotSpotter footage and other material on Thursday.

Prosecutors say the 13-year-old had a gun he would not put down and the teen was shot in the chest while facing the police officer.

The shooting took place in the early morning hours of March 29th, according to the police. Responding to a warning of shots fired at 2:37 a.m. in the 2300 block of South Sawyer, officers saw two men in a nearby alley.

Both of them fled, according to police who said they were being followed by police and one opened fire and shot Adam in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene and a gun was recovered, officials said.

NBC 5 has not independently verified reports of the incident, and the footage from the body cameras has not yet been released.

The video showing the fatal police shots at 13-year-old Adam Toledo, as well as other materials related to the investigation, will be released on Thursday, the Chicago Civil Police Department said. Vi Nguyen from NBC 5 reports.

Ruben Roman, 21, was with Toledo and is the person who allegedly fired the gun that set off a ShotSpotter alarm. He is now being charged in connection with the shooting.

Toledo’s family were shown the video footage and other materials at COPA headquarters on Tuesday, but at the family’s request, these materials were not released immediately, officials said.

Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, says he did not see the footage himself but was asked to pass on a message from Toledo’s mother.

“Her baby didn’t have a gun and (she asked me) fight and protect his name,” he said.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she saw the video but refused to go into its contents or the investigation.

“There are several videos and I’ve now seen that I think all of them,” Lightfoot said at a press conference Wednesday morning. “Look, this is a difficult circumstance. I want to be respectful of the family, but I also think that it is important for us to be transparent, especially under these circumstances.”

The family of Adam Toledo, the 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot and killed by a Chicago police officer late last month, hosted a funeral for the teenager on Friday. NBC 5’s Sandra Torres reports.

Originally, due to Toledo’s age, COPA did not plan to release the videos, but after activists and family members urged the office to release the footage, COPA reversed course, saying the videos would be released within 60 days of filming with the town charter.

Prosecutors had described events in the video over the weekend when a judge placed $ 150,000 on bail for the 21-year-old man who was with the teenager at the time of the fatal shooting.

Roman, Public defense attorney represented at a Cook County trial was charged with reckless firearm discharge, exacerbating a criminal’s illicit use of a gun and putting children at risk.

Prosecutors for the Cook County Prosecutor’s Office said in court that the video captured Roman gunfire before police responded to the scene. Prosecutors said an officer arrested Roman who dropped red gloves on the floor during his arrest, which later tested positive for bullet residue.

The other officer was chasing Toledo, repeatedly telling him to stop, and eventually Toledo stopped near a break in a wooden fence, prosecutors said. Toledo, who was standing with his left side in front of the officer and his hand on his right, was instructed by the officer to show his hands, Cook County Assistant State Attorney James Murphy said.

The policeman told the teenager to “drop it, drop it” when Toledo turned to the policeman with a gun in his right hand, prosecutors said. The officer opened fire and punched the teen once in the chest. The gun that Toledo was holding landed a few feet away, prosecutors said.

People in Chicago’s Little Village ward came out demanding responses on Saturday when a 13-year-old boy died who was fatally shot by a police officer earlier this week. Vi Nguyen from NBC 5 reports.

The officer asked for medical help and began performing chest compressions on Toledo, who died on the scene, authorities said.

According to Murphy, the teen’s right hand tested positive for gunshot residue. The shell casings fired from near the shots fired by Roman matched the 9-millimeter pistol recovered near Toledo, prosecutors said.

COPA is investigating the shooting and the officers involved have been given 30 days of administrative duties in accordance with Chicago Police Department guidelines.

Outrage has gripped the city since the police were fatally shot. The teenager’s family and supporters demand the immediate release of a police camera video showing the encounter. CPD has canceled days off for officials in preparation for possible demonstrations.