City braces for release of video showing police shooting death of Adam Toledo
CHICAGO - The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it would release video footage of the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo on Thursday.
COPA on Tuesday let the Toledo family view the video of the teen’s death.
MORE: Adam Toledo’s family praises peaceful protests, asks for them to remain nonviolent
At the request of the Toledo family, COPA on Tuesday night said they would not "immediately release" the video to the public as the family continues to grieve their loss.
COPA confirmed via a tweet on Wednesday that video and other materials would be released on Thursday.
"COPA has remained sensitive to the family's grief and is carrying out this release in accordance with the City's Video Release Policy," COPA said in a statement.
The materials will include footage from body-worn cameras, third-party video, transmissions from the Office of Emergency Management & Communications, SpotShotter recordings and case incident reports.
The day after the family of 13-year-old Adam Toledo viewed video of police fatally shooting him, the family praised the community for peaceful protests.
"We appreciate the community support and are grateful that events so far have remained peaceful," the family said through a statement issued Wednesday by family attorneys Adeena Weiss Ortiz and Joel Hirschhorn.
"We have heard reports in the media that more protests are planned today, and while we have no direct knowledge of such events, we pray that for the sake of our city, people remain peaceful to honor Adam’s memory and work constructively to promote reform."
MORE: Chicago police prepare for release of Toledo shooting video, Chauvin verdict
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday said she had viewed the police body camera videos of the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, but declined to comment on the videos or describe them.
"I want to be respectful of family, but I do also think a police-involved shooting, particularly under these circumstances, it’s important for us to be transparent," the mayor said.
On Wednesday, the Little Village Community Council met at Federal Plaza to demand justice for Toledo. The president of the group does not believe Toledo had a weapon at the time of the shooting.
"This was a murder, an assassination of a Latino child," said Baltazar Eriquez of the Little Village Community Council. "Nobody said nothing until the community said enough is enough."
Some in attendance were calling to defund the police and for the Department of Justice to investigate the city’s handling of the case.
"We need to stop villainizing the young person," said Cynthia Brita, who attended the rally. "At the end of the day, this happened because of lack of resources in our communities."
Prosecutors on Saturday released new details about the night that Chicago police shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo, saying that Toledo had a gun and gunshot residue on his hand.
A weapon was recovered after person was shot by police and another was arrested March 29. 2021 in Little Village. | Chicago police
They also said that Ruben Roman, 21, who was with Toledo that night in Little Village, gave officers a false name for the boy.
The approximate location where Chicago police killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo, in an alley way near 24th and Sawyer.| Sam Kelly/Sun-Times
Roman is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and felony endangerment of a child.
FOX 32's Elizabeth Matthews and The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.