Psaki Blames Officer For Using 'Unnecessary Force' For Shooting an Armed Teen In Chicago

Brittany M. Hughes | April 16, 2021
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White House Press Secretary blamed “unnecessary force” by police officers for the shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, a Latino teen killed in a police-involved shooting last month.

At the time, police were responding to reports of shots fired in Chicago’s Little Village, the neighborhood where Toledo lived. According to police and video footage from the officer’s body cam, officer Eric Stillman can be seen getting out of his patrol car and chasing the teen down an alley. The officer, who happens to be white, then orders Toledo to raise his hands and “drop” it. In the footage, there appears to be an object in the teen’s hand milliseconds before the officer shoots a single round, hitting him in the chest. The cop then runs up to the boy and begins administering first aid as he calls for backup.

Police said a handgun was recovered a few feet away from the boy’s body – not that the liberal media want you to know it. In fact, CBS aired a slightly altered video that cropped out a frame in which Toledo can be seen reaching behind a fence and dropping an object he’d been holding before turning toward the officer with his arms in the air, a mere split second before he was shot.

The shooting kicked off another round of protests in the Democrat-led city, which also boasts some of the highest murder rates in the country.

But despite the fact that Toledo – regardless of his age – was running around his neighborhood with a gun that he still had in his hand when confronted by the police officer, and despite the fact that Stillman hasn’t been charged, much less convicted, of any crime, Psaki has nevertheless thrown the weight of the White House behind the accusation that the police officer acted wrongly when confronting an armed suspect.

“For those of us who watched the video, it is certainly chilling, and a reminder that across the country, there are far too many communities where there is violence that is impacting…” Psaki trailed off before finally consulting her playbook.

“Too often in this country, law enforcement uses unnecessary force, too often resulting in the death of black and brown Americans," Psaki continued, this time reading from her pre-prepared notes.

Psaki then reiterated Biden’s call for police reform, without mentioning what sort of community or societal reform might be needed to ensure 13-year-old boys aren’t running around their neighborhoods brandishing loaded firearms. 

 

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