A Chicago police union boss says a police officer who shot a 13-year-old boy around 2:30 a.m. in a dark alley last month, was “100% justified”.
The shooting sparked public outcry after news outlets published a still image from a police body cam video that showed Adam Toledo raising his empty hands before he was killed.
Chicago police released edited police body cam video earlier this week. The video shows the boy tossing something and quickly raising his hands.
Officials say the teenager tossed a handgun away and then raised his hands before he was shot a split second later.
John Catanzara, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, told CNN the shooting was justified.
“In reality, an average human being could not block someone from slapping him in the face in less time than that,” Catanzara said.
“It’s a good reason why the officer only shot once. He would have been justified to shoot multiple times.”
Police responded to a shots fired call at 2 a.m. in the Little Village neighborhood on March 29. Cops detained a 21-year-old man, Ruben Roman, who was with the boy in the alley.
Prosecutors say Roman handed the firearm to Adam, who fled the scene with the gun.
Surveillance video in the area shows a police officer in foot pursuit of the teen as he fled down an alley.
At the end of the alley, the boy stopped, tossed a small handgun behind a wooden fence, and quickly raised his hands. A split second later he was on the ground, suffering from a sucking bullet wound to the chest.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Catanzara said Adam was a young gang member. “He should have been in school. But we’re not in school learning, now are we?”
“I started my dissertation with saying it is 100 percent justified,” Catanzara said.
“That officer’s actions were actually heroic. There’s a very good reason why he only shot once. Like I said, he could have been shot multiple times but the officer assessed in a split second. Unfortunately he committed to the first shot already. Justifiably so.”
Watch the raw video of the shooting here (You may have to sign in).
CAUTION: the raw video contains imagery that may be disturbing to some viewers.
Watch the edited version below.
