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Chicago’s newly appointed top cop has called for the firing of an officer who fatally shot an unarmed Latin American boy in the city’s small village section two years ago – but managed to escape charges due to insufficient evidence.
Body camera video showed how Officer Eric Stillman chased 13-year-old Adam Toledo down an alley before firing a single bullet into the boy’s chest on March 29, 2021.
the video It ignited protests almost overnight, after it was revealed that Toledo dropped a gun he was carrying shortly before Stillman fired the fatal shot, and was raising his hands in surrender.
Then, the city DA’s office would agonize over whether to hit Stillman with a disciplinary hearing for the better part of a year, before coming to the conclusion that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge the officer..
At the time, the circuit supervisor—the only official with authority to sign off on such a hearing—elected to only strike Tillman with a five-day suspension. More than a year later, his successor said the decision should be reversed.
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Eric Stillman, 36, fatally shot an unarmed Latina boy in the small village section of the city two years ago – but managed to escape charges due to insufficient evidence.
Adam Toledo, 13, died after a single gunshot wound on March 29, 2021, despite dropping a gun and raising his hands in submission.
“Officer Stillman’s use of lethal force was not necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm from an imminent threat posed by Officer Stillman,” British Superintendent Eric Carter wrote in the charges against the city’s police board on Monday.
In addition, Carter — who succeeded Superintendent David Brown last month — accused Stillman, 36, of Failure to use appropriate de-escalation techniques “to prevent the use of lethal force as a last resort.”
The city’s police board is now scheduled to hold hearings on Stillman’s potential termination beginning in May.
Meanwhile, Stillman – a seven-year veteran who had not used lethal force before shooting He will remain on active duty, as he has for most of the past two years.
In the recommendation, Carter stated that the officer violated several department policies including illegal or unnecessary use of his firearm.
He added that Stillman acted ‘inconsistently’ with his training when he chased after the young man and failed to alert the Office of Emergency Management, while also neglecting to wait for backup after he was separated from his partner.
The disciplinary charges almost immediately prompted a response from Stillman’s attorneys, who blasted Toledo’s death as a “tragedy”—while blaming not the officer, but “the gang violence prevalent on our streets.”
After Stillman’s fatal encounter with Toledo, many assumed the teen was involved The Latin Kings street gang is notorious, which is why he was holding a gun when he was shot.
However, the ministry did not provide anything verifiable Evidence to substantiate these claims. Toledo also had no apparent criminal record—a fact cited by his family’s attorneys amid calls for Stillman to face the consequences of the shooting.
Body camera video showed the gruesome killing, and how the officer chased the teen into an alley before shooting a single bullet into the chest on March 29, 2021.
At the time, then-Division Director David Brown—the only official with authority to sign off on such a hearing—elected to only strike Tillman with a five-day suspension.
More than a year later, his successor—superintendent Eric Carter—said that decision should be reversed
“The Cook County District Attorney’s Office investigated this case and correctly concluded that the use of force by Officer Stillman was appropriate and within Illinois law,” Tim Grace of Chicago wrote of Carter’s recent recommendation.
Grace continued, before pointing out the city’s current crime problems, “There is no reason or justification for the City of Chicago to ask for this case to be terminated.”
“Members of the Chicago Police Department continue to operate under amazingly difficult conditions, yet they still come to work every day to protect the citizens from the gun-wielding criminals who terrorize our city.”
He added, “The work of the men and women of the Chicago Police should not be ostracized, but given the proper amount of recognition it deserves.”
“We are now entering the next phase of Officer Stillman’s long journey of trying to separate him from the Chicago Police Department.”
In the end, the attorney’s statement filled with dramatic language concluded: “It is not only a sad day for police officers and for public safety, but for all Chicagoans.” We look forward to taking our case to the Police Board.
Previously, while the city’s district attorney was investigating whether to charge the civil servant, Grace had complained of “very little concern” he had seen from the general public regarding Stillman’s well-being, claiming that his client had been traumatized.
“The officer involved served his country and city with honor and deserves our support,” he said shortly after the shooting – which came in a crime-ridden year described as one of the city’s worst in decades.
Since then, crime — especially shootings — has only worsened, with incidents up nearly 50 percent from this time last year, and nearly 100 percent from 2021.
The city’s struggles have seen its image diminish under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who since taking office in late 2019 tried to halt the city’s police force before reversing those plans in August of 2021, amid rising crime and mass strikes by the government. City peace officers.
Toledo had a gun in the moments leading up to his shooting, and Bodycam footage shows him throwing it behind a fence before aiming for Stillman’s face.
The officer fired a single shot, hitting Toledo in the upper chest after he yelled at him to show his hands and “Drop it.”
Stillman is seen on body camera video frantically performing CPR on Toledo after being shot once in the chest
Amidst that public unrest Stillman was still active, joining the police department in 2015 and since then serving as a patrol officer assigned to the Ogden area on the city’s west side.
A month after the shooting, COPA released Stillman’s body camera footage, showing Toledo holding a gun in the moments before he was shot, but dropped it and raised his arms before confronting Stillman.
In the footage, Stillman is heard yelling, “Whoa, whoops now!” Show me your damn hands! drop it.” When Toledo turns around, he appears to be raising his hands.
A moment later, a single shot rang out and the teenager fell to the ground. Stillman is then heard firing a “gunshot” as he lays Toledo flat on his back and begins frantically searching for the wound.
He heard him say, “Stay with me, stay with me.”
Despite efforts to revive Toledo, as seen in the body camera video, the teen succumbed to his injuries.
On Monday, his family praised the administration’s renewed attempt to charge their son’s killer.
“The firing of Eric Stillman will not bring Adam back,” the statement read. But we will get one step closer to justice for Adam.
“This courageous decision will send a much-needed message to the Chicago Police Department…that its officers must respect the sanctity of human life…and strictly follow CPD policies and training as they go about their job.”
Stillman’s hearing is currently scheduled for May 1. It will remain in service until then.
– WhatsNew2Day