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13-Year-Old Boy Had His Hands Up Before Being Fatally Shot By Police Officer

13-Year-Old Boy Had His Hands Up Before Being Fatally Shot By Police Officer

Bodycam footage has been released of Adam Toledo's final moments.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Bodycam footage has been released showing how a 13-year-old boy had his hands up before being fatally shot by police in Chicago.

The city's Civilian Office of Police Accountability has shown the footage as the investigation into Adam Toledo's death continues.

The boy was shot dead on March 29 in a Little Village alley after a foot pursuit.

Police were responding to a call of shots fired when they spotted the teenager and Ruben Roman, 21, who officials said fired the gunshots that brought officers into the area.

They chased the pair and one officer tackled Roman and Adam was told to stop, but he kept running.

An officer chased Toledo, yelling at him: "Stop, stop right f**king now."

Elizabeth Toledo

The teen eventually stopped and the officer told him to put his hands up.

The cop can be heard on the bodycam footage saying: "Hands. Show me your fucking hands, drop it."

Despite Adam having his hands up, the officer fired a single shot, which saw the teen fall backwards before the cop rushed over and called an ambulance. The officer can be seen performing first aid on the teen. Adam was eventually declared dead at the scene.

A gun was recovered at the scene however it's been disputed whether Adam was holding it when he was shot.

The officer has since said the teen did not follow verbal commands, ran away, posed an imminent threat, used force likely to cause death or great bodily harm, and was armed with a semi-automatic pistol.

The teenager's death has sparked weeks of protests in the city with many people angry over another young life lost due to an interaction with police.

PA

Mayor Lori Lightfoot described the bodycam footage as 'excruciating'.

"Simply put, we failed Adam," she said during a City Hall news conference. "I have seen those videos, and let me just say they are incredibly difficult to watch, particularly at the end."

When asked about the issue of whether Adam had a gun, she replied: "I don't want to get into the real substance of this because the independent investigation is going on, but I've seen no evidence whatsoever that Adam Toledo shot at the police."

She added: "There are several videos that kind of start at the beginning of the episode, but watching the bodycam footage, which shows young Adam after he is shot, is extremely difficult.

"I would just say, and I've said this to a number of people on my staff...as a mom, this is not something you want children to see.

PA

"Even as our understanding of this incident continues to evolve, this remains a complicated and nuanced story. We all must proceed with deep empathy and calm and, importantly, peace."

A joint statement issued by the Mayor and Adam's family's lawyers adds: "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.

"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."

Featured Image Credit: Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability

Topics: News, US News