The prosecutor insisted that Toledo had the gun in his hand when the shooting took place, which does not appear to be corroborated by the video evidence.
A prosecutor in Chicago was placed on leave after he suggested in court that Adam Toledo, the 13-year-old boy who was shot dead by local police last week, was armed at the time he was shot.
According to bodycam footage, Toledo was chased into an alley by police after they received reports of a shooting. After cornering the boy in the alleyway, police told Toledo to "turn around and drop the gun."
Toledo complied and dropped the gun, putting his hands in the air. Police then shot the boy dead.
The prosecutor insisted that Toledo had the gun in his hand when the shooting took place, which does not appear to be corroborated by the video evidence, Daily Wire reports.
"Toledo had a gun in his right hand as he turned toward the officer," said Assistant State's Attorney James Murphy. "The officer fires one shot at [Toledo], striking him in the chest. The gun that [Toledo] was holding landed against the fence a few feet away."
The Cook County State's Attorney's office said that Murphy "did not fully inform himself" of the case, and that "the video speaks for itself."
Murphy was suspended from his position on Sunday.
"In court last week, an attorney in our office failed to fully present the facts surrounding the death of a 13-year-old boy," a spokesman for the Attorney's office. "We have put that individual on leave and are conducting an internal investigation into the matter."
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