“I just want justice for my son,” said the boy’s mother.
Chicago officials revealed that the person who was shot dead by a policeman earlier this week, during what the police described as an “armed confrontation”, was a 13-year-old boy.
“My biggest fear as the Chicago Police Department Superintendent is a deadly encounter between one of ours and a young man, especially due to the recent increase in violent crime involving teenagers across the city,” said Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown , in a statement on Thursday. . “Unfortunately, that fear came true earlier this week.”
The incident happened in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood during the early hours of Monday, when police responded to a multiple-shot alert and spotted two men in an alley. One of the individuals, allegedly armed, fled the police, leading to a chase on foot followed by a confrontation, according to a preliminary statement from the Chicago Police Department.
One of the policemen fired his weapon, hitting the individual in the chest. A gun was recovered and the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was arrested and remains in custody, police said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified the deceased as 13-year-old Adam Toledo. The boy’s mother, Elizabeth Toledo, also confirmed his death for Chicago’s WLS station.
“He was so full of life,” she told WLS. “They just took it from him.”
While planning her son’s funeral, the grieving mother said she wants to know “what happened.”
“I just want answers,” she said. “I just want justice for my son.”
The Chicago Police Department did not disclose the boy’s name or age because the superintendent said he “did not want to violate his privacy as a teenager”. The officer involved was placed in routine administrative duties for 30 days, according to Brown.
The shooting is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), the civilian enforcement agency of the Chicago Police Department.
“COPA is currently making every effort and researching all legal avenues that will allow the public release of all video material that captures the tragic fatal shot by 13-year-old Adam Toledo,” the agency wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “COPA is in contact with the Toledo family and will provide the family with a review of all video materials.”
The Chicago Police Department “fully” supports the COPA investigation and “vehemently” calls for the release of “any and all videos” related to the incident, including images from cameras on the body, according to the superintendent.
COPA announced in a statement on Friday afternoon that it will release a video of the body’s camera and other materials related to the shooting.
“COPA has determined that certain provisions of state law designed to protect the confidentiality of youth records do not prohibit the agency from releasing material related to its investigation of the fatal shooting of a Chicago police officer against Adam Toledo, 13,” the statement said. . “COPA’s General Council concluded that the Law of the Juvenile Court does not prohibit the publication of images from video cameras used on the body and from third parties that the agency has obtained so far.”
The agency did not say when it would be launched.
“The split-second decision to use lethal force is extremely difficult for any police officer,” said Brown, “and it is always a heavy burden for police officers involved in fatal incidents.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that “it is extremely important that COPA release relevant videos first for the family and then for the public as soon as possible, with appropriate protections, considering their age.” The mayor said that “transparency and speed are essential” because the boy’s family and the public “will undoubtedly have many questions”.
“As the mother of a 13-year-old boy, I can only imagine the incredible pain the boy’s parents are feeling right now,” wrote Lightfoot on Twitter on Thursday. “My heart is with them.”