That weapon was in the boy’s hand when a police officer shot him in the chest, according to state deputy prosecutor James Murphy.
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Ruben Roman, 21, now faces charges of reckless unloading of a firearm and misuse of a weapon by a criminal, as well as danger of minors and violation of parole, according to the Chicago police.
Prosecutors said a close-up video captured the moment Roman fired at a passing vehicle while Adam was by his side at the corner of 24th Street and Sawyer Avenue in the early hours of March 29th. .
They also said the video from the police corps camera, which will be shown to Toledo’s family in front of the public, captured the moments when an officer repeatedly told Adam to quote “drop him.”
The video shows Adam stopped with his left side towards the agent.
Prosecutors described the teenager had a gun in his right hand and said when he turned to the officer, the officer shot Toledo in the chest.
Prosecutors suggested that the 9mm Ruger handgun that fell from Adam’s hand had been previously used by Roman. It matched the seven carcasses that were later recovered at the spot where Roman fired the initial shots, Murphy said. Subsequently, Adam’s hand also tested positive for the presence of gunfire, according to prosecutors.
After the shooting, Roman was initially charged with a felony of resisting arrest. An arrest warrant was issued last week after Roman skipped a court appointment and was found Friday in Maywood hiding in a closet, Murphy said.
Murphy also said that when detectives questioned Roman about Adam’s identity, Roman gave them a false name. He denied knowing Adam or having fired any shots and claimed he was in the alley “waiting for a train,” according to Murphy.
Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood said Roman dropped out of high school in 11th grade but recently enrolled in a GED program and was looking forward to several job opportunities after being unemployed for the past two months. .
While Murphy claimed that Roman’s alleged actions endangered Adam and caused his death, Smallwood refused to accept that Roman endangered Adam, saying there was no evidence that the weapon belonged to Roman, who he wore red gloves that gave positive. by shooting waste or that he even took Adam out with him.
“The victim died at the hands of Chicago police officers, not my client,” Smallwood said.
This morning, Mayor Lori Lightfoot discussed the release of the police video of the deadly incident at an unrelated vaccination event.
“From the first day I am very clear that transparency always matters especially in something as important as a shooting involving the police, but I will be respectful of what Ms. Toledo wants to do and will have the opportunity to watch the video along with his lawyer early next week and then we’ll go from there. We hope we’ll follow his path in that, ”Lightfoot said.
Lawyers for the Toledo family were present during Roman’s bail hearing on Saturday.
“Until we watch all the videos and examine the evidence for ourselves, we are not in a position to comment,” attorney Adeena Weiss Ortiz said in a statement.
Toledo’s family and lawyers have an appointment this coming week with the Civil Police Liability Office to watch the video of the body camera and other materials related to the shooting, according to the statement.
Toledo’s funeral was held on Friday.
Chicago police leaders have canceled holiday days for officers next week as they prepare for possible demonstrations. The Toledo family will be shown a police video of the shooting before it is publicly released, officials said.
Protesters took to the streets Friday night as the Chicago Police Department began preparing to release images of police officers.
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The ABC7 I team learned that the video is expected to be made public next week, after the Toledo family has a chance to see her and approve his release.
A note on security planning, obtained by I-Team, said a decision could be made on Wednesday or Thursday next week and the city is monitoring intelligence and social media to find possible related unrest. with the publication of the video. Officers are told that their days off will be canceled and patrols will be intensified in anticipation of possible riots.
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In a previous statement, family lawyers said “the city of Chicago, the Chicago police department and the Civil Liability Office have been very cooperative. We want to correct the speculative reports in the media that suggest otherwise.”
The statement went on to say Toledo’s funeral was held on Friday and expressed the family’s thanks for “the outpouring of support and respect shown for their privacy at this time of mourning.”
Protesters seized the Gold Coast intersection between Wabash and Chestnut in the middle of a busy Friday night, and drew attention to the shooting death in Toledo.
The group met on the west side where they held placards and chanted for drivers to pass. They said the Chicago teen’s death was unjustified and they want the facts.
Protesters formed a caravan from the west side to the Gold Coast. Police are preparing for larger and possibly more restless protests
Mayor Ray Lopez recently met with the CPD leadership in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the violence that followed the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
Sun-Times Media contributed to this report.
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