During a recent press briefing this last Friday, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, comments on the video footage released of the body cam when Adam Toledo was shot to his death.
She says that it is “chilling,” and wasn’t sure if President Biden had watched it yet, but tells the nation that it’s another “reminder” that “too often in this country law enforcement uses unnecessary force, too often resulting in the death of black and brown Americans.”
With the bodycam footage released to the public, it is seen that the boy had dropped a gun right before the officer opened fire, and that it was unnecessary — resulting into another death and of a young boy.
Psaki tells reporters that “the president, again, has repeatedly said that he believes we need police reform. That’s what he says he’s calling for Congress to send to his desk.”
She adds on that the White House would wait for time to pass to see the progress of the current cases going on across the nation. In the bodycam footage that was revealed, Adam Toledo is shot in the upper chest after dropping the so-called weapon, and the shooter is identified as Eric Stillman, who has never shot fire on his line of duty before.
A frame of Stillman’s nighttime body camera shows that Toledo was not holding anything when he had his hands up before being shot at 3 am on March 29th.
The police who were responding at that moment said that the boy had a handgun on him before the shooting, but after the shots were made, it is shown that the light is shown on the handgun near the ground after he drops it.
Small groups of protestors are gathering at police stations, marching downtown and having widespread demonstrations.
Not only does Jen Psaki speak up on the situation, but US Representative AOC accuses the prosecutor’s in a tweet, stating that “The prosecutor did not “make an error.” He lied. He lied about the police killing a child. Ending this isn’t just about consequences for who pulls the trigger. It’s about admitting to and confronting an entire system that exists to protect, defend, and cover up state violence.”
The situation arises and Chicago’s mayor has also released a statement, saying that “we live in a city that is traumatized by a long history of police violence and misconduct.
So while we don’t have enough information to be the judge and jury of this particular situation, it is certainly understandable why so many of our residents are feeling that all too familiar surge of outrage and pain.
It is even clearer that trust between our community and law enforcement is far from healed and remains badly broken.”
When asked whether the teen had shot fire at the officer, Lightfoot says that there is no evidence of that. The footage given to them was “excruciating” to watch.”
