The city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability on Thursday released multiple videos detailing the police shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, offering for the first time a complete look at the Little Village teen’s final moments and confirming that Toledo had his hands raised, without a weapon, when he was killed.
As the city prepares for protests in the aftermath of the video’s release, Lightfoot again stands on the side of police, instead of the members of her own communities calling for justice and accountability. Steps toward accountability, namely the release of the body-cam video, once again came only after immense pressure and outrage from Black and Brown Chicagoans. In a joint April 15 statement, Lightfoot, the city’s Corporation Counsel Celia Meza, and legal representatives for Toledo’s family called for peaceful protest.
News of plans to raise the Lake Shore Drive bridge Thursday night did nothing to quell tensions, though city transit officials claimed it was for routine testing and maintenance. This is how she handled the George Floyd protests, cutting off the affluent business district from Black and Brown protesters under the guise of safety and protecting the Loop’s luxury shops. As my colleague Maya Dukmasova wrote in November, “the shutdowns left many feeling that Mayor Lightfoot was more concerned about protecting downtown businesses and some of the city’s wealthiest residents than the police violence that brought people out to the streets.”
