In March 2021, a 13-year-old young man ran from police while carrying a handgun. If you guessed that playing stupid games like running from the police at 2:38 in the morning as a 13-year-old toting a stolen handgun can lead to bad outcomes, you’re a smart cookie. CPD Office Eric Stillman, in hot pursuit on foot behind the suspect named Adam Toledo, kept yelling for the perp to stop and to show his hands.
Toledo didn’t do either until he paused at a gap in a wood fence. He apparently tossed the gun behind a fence panel (see screen capture below) as Office Stillman caught up.
When Stillman ordered Toledo to show his hands, the young man turned suddenly, bringing up his right hand almost as if he still had a gun in his hand.
In an instant, the office fired, mortally wounding Mr. Toledo.
Here’s the video. Not safe for work (language, violence)
There’s a lot more videos here for those looking for a deep dive.
Police in Chicago have little positive to say about the COPA organization – Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Sure enough, their skepticism was well placed as COPA evaluated the case in their “second guessing” role. Not only that, but they published the officer’s home address as part of their “transparency.” Clearly, their role is not one of supporting the local police.
With the new mayor-elect, the acting Superintendent Eric Carter has recommended terminating the officer because in Carter’s view, the officer didn’t do enough to allow the fleeing felon to shoot him dead before opening fire.
Carter wrote that “deadly force [that] was not necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm from an imminent threat.” The top cop also opined that Officer Stillman also failed to “use de-escalation techniques to prevent the use of deadly force as a last resort.” That’s asking a lot in the presence of what was effectively an upraised knife. (Supreme Court Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote that “Detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.”)
Carter may well be auditioning for a permanent promotion to chief. If so, then the CPD will enjoy leadership as incompetent as that of the new mayor (and the previous mayor, Lori Lightfoot).
Carter isn’t especially well-liked by the rank and file in the department. He wears a chest full of ribbons almost like he’s trying to convince those who don’t know better that he’s some exemplary cop who has done a lot. If they offered a ribbons for brown-nosing, Carter would likely need a bigger jacket.
We’ll see how this works out. The good news is there are lots of departments in Florida who would likely welcome a veteran officer. The bad news is this just another step in poisoning the morale of the remaining officers working to maintain some semblance of law-and-order in America’s Murder City.
Jesus H. Christ. Put Eric on the street & see how he does…
Damn that was hard to watch. I bet that officer is a mental mess
Carter is an even bigger douche nozzle than Downtown Brown, his predecessor. That takes real work to attain that level of scumbaggery. He looks like one of those African dictators with a chest full of ribbons unearned. Back in the day when Second City Cop was still around, they often exposed Carter as an Idi Amin clone – lots of stolen valor, and considered to be a total fraud by the rank and file.
Watch for another mass exodus of cops under this management. It’s going to make Lightgroot look like the smartest man in the room by comparison. They will soon long for the days of a 10% clearance rate under this clown show.
(Supreme Court Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote that “Detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.”)
I prefer the words of one Harry Callahan:
The Mayor: Callahan… I don’t want any more trouble like you had last year in the Fillmore district. You understand? That’s my policy.
Harry Callahan: Yeah, well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard – that’s my policy.
The Mayor: Intent? How’d you establish that?
Harry Callahan: When a naked man is chasing a woman through a dark alley with a butcher knife and a hard on, I figure he isn’t out collecting for the Red Cross.
[leaves]
The Mayor: I think he’s got a point.
Just really sad. An armed teenager out at that hour. Refusing to comply. And forcing the officer to react. On the bright side. Some police forces are giving bonuses. I hear Florida is only one of them.
Eric Carter. Where do I remember that name from?
Oh yeah. This cocksucking motherf******.
Remember Ella French. Eric “We don’t have time for this shit” Carter refused to important tradition for honoring a fallen officer.
He’s a perfect Chief for the new commie mayor:
Chicago police officers upset with Mayor Lori Lightfoot over her reform policies are also directing their anger at the Chicago Police Department’s second-in-command.
First Deputy Supt. Eric Carter infuriated officers gathered Saturday night at the Cook County medical examiner’s office to give their slain colleague Ella French a final send-off.
Ignoring a sacred ritual, Carter impatiently declared: “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—.” He demanded the Chicago Fire Department ambulance bearing French’s body be taken directly into the medical examiner’s office, skipping the Emerald Society’s traditional playing of bagpipes.
“We’re not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside,” Carter is heard saying on a recording.
“Take it all the way inside. Do not stop.”
Slain Chicago cop Ella French’s mom: ‘It breaks my heart, but she died doing what she was called to do’
Former police Supt. Garry McCarthy said the time-honored ritual tied to the line-of-duty death of a Chicago police officer is “sacred.” For the department’s second-in-command to ignore it is not only a sacrilege, it’s an “inexcusable” affront to the rank-and-file officers Carter is assigned to lead, he said.
As for the 13-year-old? I’ve flushed more valuable turds in my time.
3am, running from cops with stolen gun? Then turns suddenly while raising his hand? Stupid hurts. But his mama didn’t teach him any better. Or his grandmother or great grandmother. And no doubt there wasn’t a father to be found unless the city cut a check to his estate, in which case he would be front and center with fake tears for a kid that he never changed a diaper on. Good riddance, punk. Imagine all the lives made better because he didn’t rob, rape, or murder other innocents later in life.
I would love to hear Carter explain which “de-escalation techniques” this officer should have used. Of course that won’t happen because he has no clue what he’s talking about. Stay out of Shitcago !!!! If the city will do this to one of their own officers what will they do to the legally armed citizen who defends themselves ? Once Kim Foxx finds out you aren’t a violent criminal she’ll be happy to prosecute.