SHOT.
>> MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT GAVE A
NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY A FEW
HOURS AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF
THE VIDEO SHOWING THE POLICE
KILLING OF 13-YEAR-OLD ADAM
TOLEDO LAST MONTH.
SHE CALLED FOR CALM AND PATIENCE
AS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE
SHOOTING CONTINUES AND OFFERED
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO STOP THE
FLOW OF ILLEGAL GUNS INTO
CHICAGO.
WTTW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER
CHERONE JOINS US WITH MORE.
FIRST LET'S LISTEN TO SOME OF
WHAT THE MAYOR HAD TO SAY TODAY.
>> EVEN AS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
THIS INCIDENT CONTINUES TO
EVOLVE, THIS REMAINS A
COMPLICATED AND NUANCED STORY.
AND WE ALL MUST PROCEED WITH
DEEP EMPATHY AND CALM AND
IMPORTANTLY, PEACE.
>> HEATHER WHO ELSE DID THE
MAYOR WANT THE CITY TO KNOW
BEFORE THEY SEE THE VIDEOS?
>> IT WAS ESSENTIALLY A WARNING
THAT THE VIDEOS WERE IN HER
WORDS QUOTE EXCRUCIATING AND
THAT IT REALLY WAS NOT JUST
ABOUT ADAM TOLEDO BUT ABOUT THE
SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS FACING KIDS
LIKE HIM ACROSS CHICAGO THAT
BROUGHT HIM TO THAT ALLEY JUST
AFTER 2:30 AM ON MARCH 29TH.
AND SHE THOUGHT TO WIDEN THE
PICTURE A LITTLE BIT JUST FROM
HER OF THAT HORRIFIC COUPLE OF
MOMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN TODAY.
>> MAYOR LIGHTFOOT IS CALLING ON
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO STEP
UP TO STEM THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL
FIREARMS INTO CHICAGO.
ANYTHING NEW HERE?
>> NO.
WE'VE HEARD HER MAKE THESE
REQUESTS TIME AND TIME AGAIN,
PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE'S BEEN A
HIGH PROFILE CRIME OR A HIGH
PROFILE INCIDENT.
SHE HAS CONSTANTLY CALLED ON THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE TO
STOP THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL GUNS
INTO CHICAGO FROM STATES LIKE
INDIANA WHERE THE GUN LAWS ARE
MUCH LOOSER.
AND SHE WANTS LOOPHOLES CLOSED
THAT WILL PREVENT THE SALE OF
GUNS TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT
ENTITLED TO TO HAVE THEM.
BUT THIS IS NOT REALLY ANYTHING
NEW AS I SAID.
AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS
TAKEN SOME STEPS TO DO SOME OF
WHAT THE MAYOR ASKED FOR IN
TERMS OF EXECUTIVE ACTION.
BUT THE MAYOR HAS LONG WANTED TO
SEE COMPREHENSIVE GUN CONTROL
REFORM WHICH REMAINS A LONGSHOT
IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
>> THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT THE
TRAUMA THAT YOUTH FACE GROWING
UP SURROUNDED BY GUN VIOLENCE.
>> TWO FACTS ABOUT THIS TRAGEDY
REMAIN CLEAR...
FIRST, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT THIS CHILD WAS IN CONTACT
WITH AN ADULT WHO HAD A GUN AND
ENDED UP BEING SHOT AND KILLED
BY A POLICE OFFICER.
THE SECOND THERE ARE TOO MANY
YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR CITY BOYS
AND GIRLS ALIKE, WHO HAVE BEEN
LEFT VULNERABLE BY SYSTEMIC
FAILURES THAT WE SIMPLY MUST
FIX.
THESE TWO REALITIES URGE US TO
RECKON WITH A RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN, POLICE OUR COMMUNITIES
AND ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
>> AND HEATHER WHO DID THE MAYOR
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WHAT THE CITY
HAS GONE OR CAN DO ABOUT THIS?
>> THE MAYOR IS VERY PROUD OF
WHAT SHE SAYS IS HER RECORD IN
DIRECTING CITY MONEY TOWARDS
SOCIAL SERVICES.
EVERYTHING FROM COUNSELING,
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, SUMMER
JOBS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS SHE
SAYS IS NECESSARY TO ADDRESS
THAT SYSTEMIC INEQUALITY.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A
LONGSTANDING ISSUE AND THIS IS
NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SOLVED
EASILY OR OVERNIGHT OR EVEN
REALLY ANYTIME SOON.
MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, THE MAYOR
CALLED FOR AN END TO
GENERATIONAL POVERTY WHICH IS
REALLY WHAT SHE IS TALKING
ABOUT.
BUT THE PANDEMIC MADE THOSE
ISSUES WORSE AND THEY ARE IN
STARK AS WE THINK OF ADAM TOLEDO
AND HIS FAMILY.
>> A WEEK AFTER THE SHOOTING THE
MAYOR BLAMED THE ADULT WHO
ALLEGEDLY PUT THE GUN IN ADAM
TOLEDO'S FOR HIS DEATH.
HERE IS WHAT SHE SAID.
>> AN ADULT PUT A GUN IN A
CHILD'S HAND.
A YOUNG IMPRESSIONABLE CHILD.
AND ONE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
PROVIDED WITH A WEAPON THAT
COULD AND DID CHANGE THE COURSE
OF HIS LIFE.
>> MAYOR WAS USING HER WORDS OR
CHOOSING HER WORDS MORE
CAREFULLY TODAY.
WHAT IS YOUR READ ON THAT.
>> WHEN SHE ADDRESSED THE NEWS
MEDIA SHE HAD NOT YET SEEN THE
VIDEO RECORDED BY THE OFFICER'S
CAMERA.
AND WE'VE SEEN IT NOW AND IT
SHOWS ADAM WITH HIS HANDS UP AT
THE MOMENT THAT HE WAS SHOT.
AND IT SEEMS AS IF IT CALLS INTO
QUESTION ABOUT THE POLICE
NARRATIVE OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT
NIGHT WHICH POLICE SAID FROM THE
BEGINNING INVOLVED AN ARMED
CONFRONTATION.
THE QUESTION IS: WAS THAT
ENTIRELY ACCURATE?
OR DID IT TRY TO PAINT A PICTURE
THAT THE BODY-CAMERA FOOTAGE HAS
SHOWN THAT IS NOT ACCURATE?
AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
THAT MAYOR LIGHTFOOT HAS
ADDRESSED THE NEWS MEDIA AND
GIVEN US INFORMATION ABOUT A
POLICE MISCONDUCT FUROR IF YOU
CAN CAST YOUR MEMORY BACK TO
FEBRUARY SHE SAID SHE HAD NOT
LEARNED ABOUT THE ANJANETTE
YOUNG BOTCHED RAID UNTIL CBS2
REPORTED ON IT.
A DAY LATER SHE ACKNOWLEDGED SHE
LEARNED ABOUT IT AND WE LEARNED
THAT SHE HAD BEEN BRIEFED AND
DETAILED ABOUT IT.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS REMAINING
ABOUT WHAT MAYOR LIGHTFOOT KNEW
AND WHEN SHE KNEW IT AND WHEN
SHE SAW THIS FOOTAGE AND WHETHER
OR NOT THAT HAS CAUSED HER TO
CHANGE HER NARRATIVE OF WHAT
HAPPENED AT THIS FATEFUL EVENT.
>> THANK YOU AND WE'LL SEE YOU
LATER IN THE PROGRAM FOR MORE
ANALYSIS ON THE VIDEO OF THE
FATAL SHOOTING RELEASED BY
C.O.P.A. TODAY.
>> THANKS.