Residents of Little Village, a well-known and predominantly Latino neighborhood of Chicago, mourn the death of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican-American boy from the neighborhood who was shot dead by a police officer on March 29. NBC News channel.
Why it’s important: The murder of Adam Toledo draws attention to police shootings against Latinos, who are killed by police at the second rate after black Americans, according to data from the Washington Post.
Residents have placed flowers and votive candles in the street that killed Toledo next to a makeshift altar that bore his name. On Friday a local artist unveiled a mural of Toledo in the alley where he was shot.
Background: Adam Toledo, 13, was fatally shot by police on March 29 after being chased on foot by a police officer down a Little Village alley. Police camera footage released Thursday has once again focused on the circumstances of Toledo’s death.
- In the video, the officer calls Toledo to show his hands and the teenager complies and raises his hands before a shot is heard.
- Police say Toledo had a gun on him before the shooting. A Toledo family lawyer said Thursday that even if he had done so, he “threw it” before meeting the officer’s demands.
Many residents have it he expressed how painful it was to see the images from the camera of the police force of the Toledo shooting.
- “It hurts, because he’s a little kid,” Toledo aunt Theresa Chavarria told NBC.
- “He had nothing on his hands when the police shot him. In fact, his hands were raised and he was still killed, “local resident Jesus Hernandez told the Chicago Tribune.” After seeing it, I feel like I have to worry about my safety because we don’t know how the cops will react. “, he said.
While the city authorities prepared for protests after the release of body camera images on Thursday, community meetings have remained peaceful, according to the Tribune.
- Dozens of people gathered in protest in front of the local police headquarters to demand the resignation of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, criticizing the mayor’s call for calm.
- Several peaceful marches took place in Chicago on Thursday night, and residents called for police to be held responsible, according to the Chicago Tribune.
In depth: Chicago launches video on deadly police shooting of 13-year-old boy