CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- There’s some question about whether the body-camera video of the police shooting of a 13-year-old boy in the Little Village neighborhood will be made public Friday.
The family of a 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who shot and killed by police in Little Village two weeks ago, is preparing for a private funeral.
Through attorneys, the family said they appreciate the “outpouring of community support and are especially grateful that the gatherings, vigils and protests have been peaceful. It is their fervent prayer that gatherings remain calm and respectful.
“Peaceful gatherings in this time of pain and suffering testify to the strength and essential goodness of the people of Little Village and the Latino community who recognize that this is a time for grieving and healing, and not for violence or destructive behavior that would only serve to diminish Adam’s death and compound the family’s pain,” the statement read.
There have been reports that the video, described by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability as "troubling" was going to be released Friday and police were preparing for potential unrest. But, the family has been told it would be shared with them before any public release and that has not yet occurred, according to the attorneys.
In a statement, the family's attorneys said Toledo’s family was continuing to work with the “Civilian Office of Police Accountability to view body camera video materials related to the March 29 shooting” but the family has not seen the footage yet.
“In response to inquiries that we have received from the media asking us to comment on reports that the Chicago Police Department is considering plans to release the video [Friday], we want to say that no one with the CPD or COPA has informed us of any such plans. And in fact, we are assured that the video will not be released publicly until the family has the opportunity to watch it,” family spokeswoman Debbie Price said in a statement.
Related
The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. on March 29 when officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert. Police said there were two males standing in an alley in the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue, and one had a gun. There was a foot chase and Adam Toledo was shot in the chest by police.
Police have not yet said if Adam was the one that was armed, but did recover a weapon at the scene.
Related
