Bodycam Footage in Chicago Cop Shooting Reveals Prosecutor 'Misspoke' by Saying 13-Year-Old Was Definitively Armed

On March 29, 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed by Chicago police officers following reports of an altercation involving gunfire. On Thursday afternoon, footage captured by the police officers’ body cameras was released, showing that the state prosecutor’s statement about whether or not Toledo was armed at the time of his death was wrong and that the prosecutor was not “fully informed.”

The bodycam footage was released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in response to pressure from the lawyers for Toledo’s family. According to WGN, what the footage shows is that Toledo did not have a weapon in his hand when he was fatally shot by the police, even though that, naturally, was the excuse used by the CPD to justify this murder.

From WGN:

Bodycam footage from the firing officer shows he and his partner briefly chasing Roman and Adam through an alley near Farragut Career Academy High School. The firing officer’s partner quickly tackles Roman, while the firing officer goes after Adam.

While chasing the teen, the officer repeatedly tells him to “stop right f—— now” and to “show me your f—— hands.” The officer also tells Adam to “drop it.”

Adam can be seen briefly ducking behind a break in a fence near Farragut, then quickly reemerging. The officer was standing about 10 feet away, pointing his gun and a flashlight at the teen. Moments later, Adam turns toward the officer with both his hands raised, and the officer fires a single shot, striking Adam in the upper left side of his chest, near his heart.

In a statement, Cook County State Attorney spokesperson said, “An attorney who works in this office failed to fully inform himself before speaking in court.” Prosecutors also told the court that there was gunshot residue on Toledo’s right hand, which, in light of the body cam footage released, is also in question. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a statement in concert with Toledo’s family and state prosecutors, expressing her sorrow at the incident, while also urging peaceful protest in response. “We acknowledge that the release of this video is the first step in the process toward the healing of the family, the community and our city,” the statement read. “We understand that the release of this video will be incredibly painful and elicit an emotional response to all who view it, and we ask that people express themselves peacefully.”