On March 29th Adam Toledo was shot and killed by a Chicago Police Officer and body-cam footage of the shooting has officially been released.
According to reports, the 13-year-old was shot in the chest by officer Eric Stillman, 34, after being told to drop his weapon. It was first reported that Toldeo didn’t have a gun in his hand.
The bodycam footage shows that the teen did have a gun in his hand. It also shows officer Stillman shining a light on the alleged handgun on the ground next to Toledo after he was shot.
An attorney for Adam Toledo’s family said in a statement, “ It could be a gun, I’m not going to deny that but it’s not relevant, because if he had a gun, he tossed it.” He continued, “Those videos speak for themselves. If you are shooting an unarmed child with his hand in the air it is an assassination.”
The released footage has ignited protests throughout the city but Mayor Lori Lightfoot has called for the public to keep calm. This footage comes during the ongoing trial of Officer Derek Chauvin for the shooting death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.