Adam Toledo: Attempts to reform Chicago police have failed, civil rights expert says

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern University professor of law and civil rights expert Sheila Bedi is available to comment on the failures that have led to the tragic death of Adam Toledo in Chicago.

About Sheila Bedi
Bedi is a clinical professor of law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in Chicago and director of the Community Justice and Civil Rights Clinic. She litigates civil rights claims on behalf of people who have endured police violence and abusive prison conditions. She also represents grassroots community groups seeking to end mass imprisonment and to redress abusive policing. She can be reached by contacting Mohamed Abdelfattah at mohamed@northwestern.edu.

Quote from Professor Bedi
“Adam Toledo’s death at the hands of a Chicago Police Department (CPD) officer was entirely preventable had the City of Chicago heeded community demands to overhaul its foot pursuit policies. The most recent data demonstrates that 29% of all foot pursuits end in a use of force—foot pursuits are inherently escalating and far too often lead to violence. Had CPD implemented restrictions on foot pursuits years ago—many lives would have been saved—including Adam’s.

“But more fundamentally, Adam’s tragic death demonstrates that police have far too much latitude to use deadly force and that attempts to reform the CPD have failed. CPD must be defunded and those funds must be invested in community-based interventions proven to result in safe communities.”