After it was confirmed this week that a 13-year-old had been shot and killed in what Chicago police call an “armed confrontation” with officers, there are growing calls for the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability to release all available police body-camera footage from the scene.
According to Chicago police, Adam Toledo was shot in the chest and later died in the shooting, which occurred Monday in the city’s Little Village neighborhood.
In a statement, police said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at approximately 2:35 a.m., and saw two males standing in an alley on the city’s Southwest Side.
Police say one person ran from the scene and was shot by an officer during an “armed confrontation” in the 2300 block of South Spaulding Avenue.
That person, later identified as Toledo, died at the scene.
Thursday, new surveillance footage from a church near 24th and Sawyer captured the moment that officers pulled up at the scene, and then ran into an alley where Toledo was shot.
Pastor Romero Rodriguez says the shooting happened right behind his church.
“I feel bad for the young family,” he said. “We thought maybe he was somebody that was drunk or something, but not that he was a kid. That’s much worse.”
Rodriguez says that his church has served the community for more than 15 years, and while there have been shootings near the church before, there hasn’t been anything like this before.
“We are praying for everybody, and I’m asking for us to unite and to pray for Little Village,” he said.
Now, COPA is investigating the shooting, and the department is running into unique challenges in the case. According to a statement, COPA is required to release body camera video of police shootings within 60 days of an incident, but department policy prohibits them from sharing video if the individual shot is under the age of 18.
COPA says that details on that release are still being worked out, but confirmed that they will release, 911 calls, OEMC transmissions and reports on the tactical response and the incident itself.
Members of the Little Village community are pushing for authorities to release the footage, but none has been released at this time.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted her condolences to Toledo’s family.
“As a mother of a 13-year-old myself, I can only imagine the incredible pain this boy’s parents are experiencing at this moment,” she said. “My heart goes out to them. We must release any relevant videos as soon as possible.”
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown echoed Lightfoot’s comments, saying that the shooting represents one of his greatest fears as superintendent.
“My greatest fear as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department has been a deadly encounter between one of our own and a juvenile especially given the recent rise in violent crimes involving juveniles throughout our city. Unfortunately, this fear became a reality earlier this week,” he said. “We fully support the investigation being conducted by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), and adamantly call for the release of any and all video, including body-worn camera footage, related to the incident, as permitted by laws pertaining to juveniles.”
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/3usTowX
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