Warning: This video contains graphic content.
Video of police fatally shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo in a Little Village alley last month was released Thursday afternoon, and city officials urged the community to keep protests peaceful after viewing what Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls the 'excruciating' material.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) released bodycam video and a variety of other materials related to the fatal officer-involved shooting on March 29.
It occurred after police officers responded to reports of shots fired near 24th and Sawyer around 2:30 a.m. Authorities have said there was some kind of confrontation between an officer and Toledo, who was holding a gun. The boy was shot in the chest.
Among the materials released is body cam video from the officer who shot Toledo. It shows the officer parking in an alley and pursuing a running figure. The officer tells Toledo, "Stop! Police, stop!", and the boy appears to hold up his hands. Within a second, the officer fires once, and Toledo cramps to the ground.
The officer runs up to the boy and calls for backup. He tells Toledo to hold on.
COPA’s investigation into the seventh-grader’s death comes at a tense time in Chicago and other U.S. cities that also are reckoning with complaints that police use excessive force, particularly against minorities. Toledo’s death has also prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to direct the Chicago Police Department to re-examine its approach to foot pursuits, which she says can be dangerous for officers and the public.
Earlier Thursday, she said she watched the videos related to the boy's death, calling them "excruciating" and "incredibly difficult to watch, particularly at the end."
The mayor has declined to weigh in on the contents of the material, citing ongoing investigations. Lightfoot noted the officer who shot the youth immediately began trying to revive him and called for emergency services.
A 21-year-old man who was with Toledo faces weapons charges. Authorities have said the adult fired the initial gunshots that drew the police response.
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