Never Stops

Body-Cam Footage Shows Fatal Chicago Police Shooting of Anthony Alvarez

The incident took place less than 48 hours after the fatal shooting of Adam Toledo, a teenager who put his hands up.

A police watchdog agency in Chicago released chilling footage on Wednesday of a cop fatally shooting 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez from behind, a March 31 incident that took place less than 48 hours after the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo.

In body-camera footage from the officer who fired the fatal shots, we see him run past another officer in pursuit of Alvarez, who appears to have been holding an object that looked like a gun. “Hey, drop the gun, drop the gun!” the officer says as he comes up close behind the 22-year-old. The officer then quickly fires several shots at Alvarado as he fled.

“Why are you shooting me?” Alvarado then asks as he moans in pain.

“You had a gun!” the officer responds.

According to what is presumably a security camera at a nearby home, Alvarez—echoing police claims—does appear to be holding something shaped like a gun. The object falls to the ground after the incident, and the officers on scene repeatedly express concern about keeping tabs on it even as they attempt to render aid to Alvarez. There is no indication from the footage that Alvarado pointed the weapon at the officer.