CHICAGO — CHICAGO — Chicago's police review board released body camera footage Thursday in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy late last month by a Chicago Police officer.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), an independent board that investigates Chicago police shootings, released the footage Thursday of the March 29 fatal shooting of Adam Toledo.
In the body camera video, the officer who shot Toledo is seen chasing the 13-year-old boy on foot down an alleyway, yelling for him to stop. After a brief chase, the officer tells Toledo to show him his hands. The officer is heard yelling “Drop it!” at the teen right before he opens fire.
The video shows Toledo with his hands in the air, before a single shot is fired, hitting Toledo in the chest.
Police say the teen had a handgun on him, and the bodycam footage shows the officer shining a light on a handgun on the ground near Toledo after he shot him.
The officer was responding to a call of shots fired in the area when he ran after the teen. Police say 21-one-year-old Ruben Roman, who was also at the scene, fired the shots. Roman is charged with child endangerment and several gun charges.
Shortly before the video was released, Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on the public to remain peaceful.
Choking up at times, Lightfoot decried the city's long history of police violence and misconduct, especially in Black and brown communities, and said too many young people are left vulnerable to "systemic failures that we simply must fix."
COPA released the following statement upon the release of the video:
"COPA is committed to completing a full, thorough and objective investigation of the entire incident which includes not only the officer’s use of deadly force but also the actions of other involved officers leading up to and following the deadly shooting to determine whether each officers’ actions complied with Department policy directives and training."
COPA said Toledo's family was able to view the footage Tuesday. Officials said they did not immediately release the video at the request of the family.
