The family of a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer last week issued a statement on Sunday condemning the allegations in a recent warning issued by police leaders and warning that the factions of the Latin kings’ ordered by rank members to shoot at unmarked Chicago police vehicles. ”
The warning, issued Thursday, said the factions of the gang in the Ogden patrol district on the southwest side were planning to retaliate after police killed Adam Toledo in early March 29 in an alley in the 2400 block of South Sawyerlaan. While the warning warned that gang members would likely shoot at unmarked police vehicles, it did not say why the Kings would retaliate.
“If this is true, it is very disturbing,” Adeena Weiss Ortiz, the family’s attorney, said in the statement. “Let me be clear, the Toledo family condemns violence against the police and all other members of the community.”
Police officers declined to comment on the report.
In the family statement, they broadly condemned all calls for violence in the aftermath of the shooting and urged the public ‘to remain respectful, peaceful and law-abiding to express their grief over Adam’s death.’
Adam’s mother, Elizabeth Toledo, added: “Nobody has anything to gain by inciting violence.
“Adam was a sweet and loving boy,” she said. “He does not want anyone else to be injured or killed in his name.”
Only two days later is the mother of the son notified of his death – and three days later until the authorities publicly reveal that he was only 13 years old. After the revelation, the fatal police shooting quickly attracted a lot of media attention and prompted protests.
Police officers earlier reported that officers responded to the shooting on the day of the shooting and found Adam and a man in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer. An officer then chased Adam, who was shot in the chest and killed in what police described as an ‘armed confrontation’.
Police later released a photo of a gun that was allegedly found at the scene near Farragut Career Academy High School.
The city’s civil office for police responsibility, which investigates all police shootings, first said that legislation prohibits the release of video footage of the shooting. But on Friday, the agency reversed its course and announced that it would show the “worrying video footage” to the Toledo family before it was released.
Debbie Price, a spokeswoman for the family, said they had not seen the footage Sunday morning.
Contributions: Frank Main, Sam Kelly, David Struett, Stefano Esposito