Adam Toledo case: Chicago police released the video where an officer shot the boy
More than two weeks after the death of the Hispanic teenager, the recordings of the body cameras of several officers came to light.
More than two weeks after the death of Adam Toledo, the Chicago Civil Office of Police Responsibility (COPA) published the videos of the body camera of Erick Stillman, who shot the boy.
In the second minute of the recording, Stillman is seen pursuing the teenager and demanding that he stop and show him his hand. “Policeman! Stop! Stop now! Hands! Hands! Show me your rude hands!” The element screamed at him.
The teenager then stopped to finally turn around, hands partially raised. However, the police officer immediately shot the child. It fell to the ground, and the officer approached when he saw it vanish.
“Shots, shots! Get an ambulance here, now. Look at me, look at me! are you okay?”, The element is heard saying.
Stillman then turned the boy to locate the bullet point, and the young man can be seen, who was wearing a black Nike sweatshirt, a white cap, and blue jeans. While around him, it is not possible to see any type of weapon.
The officer insisted that the young man stay awake and also asked on the radio that they bring a first aid kit. When the other officers arrived, they began to help. Stillman reported that he would begin chest compressions as he stopped feeling the heartbeat.
After a minute of compressions, Stillman let another officer do the compressions. Moments later, Stillman is seen checking the area, and his flashlight can be seen pointing at a gun he was shooting at.
In addition to this, other videos from the cameras of other officers came to light. In these, you can see other elements arriving at the scene where the young man lay on the ground.
In a second clip, another officer can be seen running towards the scene where the little Hispanic boy was lying. In contrast, other officers carried out resuscitation maneuvers. In the third and fourth clips, you can see similar scenes where the police only get to see the teenager.
According to the NPR website, in a report in which Stillman explained why he fired his weapon, he indicated that the child’s attitude presented an “imminent threat of assault with a weapon. “The police officer also ticked the boxes saying that he acted “in defense of himself” and to “overcome resistance or aggression.”
For her part, Adeena Weiss-Ortiz, a lawyer for the boy’s family, said the published videos “spoke for themselves.”
Adam, until the last second of his life, did not have a gun in his hand. “Show me your hands,” said the agent, driving him. Adam agreed. If he had a gun, he threw it. The agent asked him to show his hand, he agreed. He turned around,” he pointed out.
Before the videos were released, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot explained that the images were painful at a press conference. However, he asked the public to remain calm until the board can complete its investigation.
He stated. We failed Adam, and we can’t afford another young man in our city. We live in a city with a long history of police violence and mismanagement. So while we don’t know to be a judge and jury about this critical condition, it is certainly obvious why so many of our citizens are undergoing this familiar wave of grief and anguish.
The videos came to light at a crucial moment for the United States, since in recent days, the trial of Derek Chauvin, who is accused of second-degree murder, has been broadcast for the death of George Floyd.
Police said Adam died in the early hours of March 29, when officers responded to a call that reported gunshots. It was then that the police came across Adam and Ruben Roman, a 21-year-old man.