Shoot first, ask questions later

We must hold law enforcement officers accountable for their actions 

Reagan Horne, Staff Writer

Adam Toledo was a Mexican American boy murdered by the Chicago Police Department on March 29, 2021; he was only 13 years old. The tragic part of that sentence: Adam Toledo was. He was only a seventh-grader enrolled at Gary Elementary School. A split-second decision made by Chicago Police Officer Eric Stillman would soon leave a hole in the Toledo family. This tragedy reveals the irony of what we call the “United” States. We can’t be truly united until we stop causing each other pain.

The country was already mourning enough with the devastating murder of Daunte Wright and the stress of the Derek Chauvin trial for the former Minneapolis officer found guilty of murdering George Floyd in May of 2020. The ones who took an oath to protect our nation are the ones who cause the terror that stands in the way of our unity. We eventually find ourselves asking, “When will it end?”

For generations, America has witnessed injustice inflicted on innocent victims. Unfortunately, another mourning period is upon us as Chicago grieves the loss of one of their own. Before the sun had risen on March 29, the Chicago Police Department received a report of an “armed confrontation.” Until further reports regarding the events that took place prior to this tragedy get released, the true reason why a 13-year-old was out in a dark alley with an armed 21-year-old named Ruben Roman will remain a mystery to the public.  

Officers at the crime scene, of course, claim that the victim possessed a gun at the time of the confrontation; however, photos of the bodycam videos, released on April 15, show otherwise. In the video, Toledo is seen with his hands empty and in the air.

After additional information became accessible to the public, many people noticed missing pieces in the case. The bodycam footage didn’t match up with the police report, which is common in unlawful police shootings like those that killed Laquan McDonald and Ma’Khia Bryant, both of whom faced the inhumane actions of their city protectors. Another red flag that many raised was the fact that law enforcement swept Toledo’s case under the rug for two weeks before it came to the attention of the media. Information of this nature leads to speculation of a cover-up or a stalling period while people try to figure out what their excuse is for shooting a weaponless little boy. The infuriating thought of a child being senselessly killed without hesitation makes one speechless.

Officials always try to justify their actions, and somehow it works within the “justice” system, as many of them are getting off scot-free. Stillman’s title, gender, and race allow him to have a second chance at living a free and happy life. Somehow, he and the law enforcement officials involved in cases such as Toledo’s believe resigning their positions is an act of justice and sufficient consequence for their heinous crimes. The highest price they pay is their guns and badges, but their victims pay with their lives. 

Unsatisfactory justice should not go unnoticed or ignored. It is time the protectors of our country show the initiative to stop the easily avoidable tragedies that happen too often for us to cope with. The people of Little Village, Ill., Toledo’s hometown, gathered in the streets to fight for justice for Toledo. Those with hearts will understand what they are fighting for. If Toledo has yet to receive justice two weeks after his untimely death, then when will his family? His mother, Elizabeth Toledo, who lost her child, is now forced to wait at the mercy of unsympathetic authorities.