Mayor Lightfoot Won't Confirm Or Deny Adam Toledo, 13, Was Holding Gun When He Was Shot Dead By Police, But Believes Prosecutors Who Say He Was Were 'Correct'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- At a news conference Thursday ahead of the release of the body cam video of the police shooting that killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she had seen "no evidence whatsoever" that Adam shot at police.
"I don't want to get into the real substance of this because the independent investigation is going on, but I've seen no evidence whatsoever that Adam Toledo shot at the police," Mayor Lightfoot said.
But as to the reports that Adam was holding a gun when he was shot and killed by police, the mayor declined to confirm or deny it – citing the ongoing investigation – but said she believed it was correct as articulated by prosecutors at a bond hearing for Ruben Roman, a man police said was with him at the time of the shooting.
"It's not for me to confirm that," Mayor Lightfoot said. "I'm very aware of what was said at the bond hearing for Mr. Roman. I believe that as articulated, the comments of the State's Attorney were correct."
Subsequently, a spokeswoman for the Cook County State's Attorney's office said a prosecutor misspoke over the weekend in saying Adam had a gun in his hand.
State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Sarah Sinovic told CBS 2's Chris Tye in a statement: "An attorney who works in this office failed to fully inform himself before speaking in court. Errors like that cannot happen and this has been addressed with the individual involved. The video speaks for itself."
Spokesperson for Cook County State's Attorney tells @cbschicago that a lawyer for their office misspoke in the case of #AdamToledo when Ruben Roman was in court. They said Toledo had a gun in his hand when he did not. "Errors like that cannot happen and this has been addressed."
— Chris Tye (@TVTye) April 15, 2021
At the earlier news conference, the mayor added that a slowed-down version of the body cam video is also being released because it was offered to the family, and they agreed it would be helpful. She said it is difficult to see what is going on in the raw video.
"He's running through an alley. The raw video footage is extraordinarily jumpy," Lightfoot said. "It's really hard to see anything."
Thus, she said, providing a slowed-down frame-by-frame version to see what happened will be helpful.
Mayor Lightfoot also said the video will show the officer springing into action to try to revive Adam and call for medical assistance. She emphasized that every officer is traumatized when they fire their weapon, whether anyone is struck or not.
The mayor earlier said: "I urge everyone reserve judgment until the civilian office of police accountability (COPA) has done its work. And I'm urging COPA, to do that work. Early transparently and with all deliberate speed."
Late Tuesday afternoon, Toledo's family viewed the video footage of the teen's shooting death by police during what authorities have said was an armed encounter in a Little Village alley early on the morning of Monday, March 29.
At a bond hearing Saturday for the man who was with Adam Toledo, prosecutors said Adam had a gun in his hand when an officer shot and killed him.
Prosecutors said while defendant Roman was the one to fire the gun, Adam was holding it when he was shot and killed by police at a point when Roman was already being detained.
The video is set for release at 2:30 p.m.