CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The family of a man who was shot and killed by Chicago police last month in Portage Park saw video of the incident for the first time Tuesday.
Anthony Alvarez, 22, was shot and killed by an officer early on March 31 after a foot chase in the 5200 block of West Eddy Street. Alvarez allegedly pulled out a gun “which led to a confrontation with police,” and an officer shot him, police have said.
Alvarez was later pronounced dead at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Police have not said what sparked the initial foot chase. After the shooting, CPD spokesman Tom Ahern shared a photo of the gun allegedly recovered from Alvarez.
"The rules of engagement are clear - and this officer followed them," Chicago FOP President John Catanzara said.
The shooting came about two days after an officer shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo on March 29 in Little Village. Toledo’s killing also happened during a foot chase, prompting Mayor Lightfoot to direct the Police Department draft a new foot pursuit policy.
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Family and friends of Alvarez demanded answers as to why a Chicago police officer shot and killed him in an alley. After watching body camera video, they said they still don't understand what led up to the deadly encounter with police.
"I want more answers," Alvarez's mother said in Spanish that was then translated through another family member. "The videos I saw don't explain what I saw in the morgue. I want to know why they were running after him. To this day, I have no answers. I still want answers as to why they were chasing my son."
After watching the video, the family's attorney Todd Pugh told CBS 2 "it was an absolute chilling scene."
Alvarez's family said the footage they viewed will be released to the public on Wednesday, but COPA has not confirmed that.
Civilian Office of Police Accountability spokesman Ephraim Eaddy confirmed that Alvarez’s family saw the footage Tuesday, but declined to give further details.
Though Eaddy did not offer an exact timeline of when footage would be made public, he said videos could be expected “well in advance of the city’s video release policy,” which gives COPA 60 days to publicly release footage of fatal police shootings.
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