Chicago: A cache of documents released at the same time, identified 34-year-old Eric Stillman, who has been on the force for six years, as the officer who shot and killed Toledo. He has been on administrative duty since the shooting.
The release of the video is likely to rattle a nation already on edge over issues of policing, justice and race relations. The killing, along with Sunday’s fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb and the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the May 2020 death of George Floyd, has raised tensions in Chicago.
“Chicago, as well as way too many parts of our country, has a long legacy of police violence and police misconduct that have left far too many residents, especially those who are Black and brown, in a constant state of fear and pain,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
City officials urged people to remain calm as they prepared for civil unrest following the release of the video footage. Like some other American cities, Chicago experienced riots and looting after Floyd’s death, which was also caught on video.
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Protesters critical of police gathered in central Chicago, some of them blocking traffic. They were met by helmeted officers on foot, social media images showed but the protests remained peaceful and there were no immediate reports of conflict.
A lawyer for the Toledo family, Adeena Weiss Ortiz, told a news conference after the release of the video that Toledo complied with Stillman’s orders, dropped his weapon and turned around before the officer opened fire.
“I don’t know if the officer had enough time or not. All I know is the officer is trained to not shoot an unarmed individual,” she said.
Ortiz said the Toledo family wanted “justice for Adam, whatever that may entail. This is a very close, tight-knit Hispanic family. All of those who lived with him adored this child.”
