Man who was with Adam Toledo night of deadly shooting found not guilty

CHICAGO — The man who was with 13-year-old Adam Toledo the night of his deadly shooting by a Chicago police officer last year has been found not guilty.

Ruben Roman, 22, was found not guilty on all charges —  three felony counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one felony count of recklessly discharging a firearm. He was taken into custody moments before Adam Toledo, 13, was shot and killed by CPD officer Eric Stillman.

In the early morning hours of March 29, 2021, police responded to a ShotSpotter alert near the 2300 block of South Sawyer.

According to the proffer and video, Roman and Adam were fleeing together in an alley near the 2300 block of South Spaulding when two officers exited their vehicle and began a foot pursuit.

As Roman was detained, officer Stillman continued to chase Toledo down the alley after calls to “stop.”

Toledo stopped near a break in a wooden fence with his left side facing the officer and his right hand at his right side. In a split-second, a gun, which Roman was accused of using prior to the shooting, was visible in Toledo’s hand before one shot was fired.

Toledo was shot in the chest and died at the scene. Police did not announce Toledo was 13 years old until three days after the shooting.

The judge in Roman’s case said the state failed to provide guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. When referring to evidence, Judge Charles Burns said it was not enough to prove that ROman processed or fired the gun that was found near Toledo’s body.

Officer Eric Stillman was not charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. However, he is still facing an evidentiary hearing to determine if Stillman will face any disciplinary measures.

While Roman’s charges were dropped, he is still facing separate charges on a 2019 gun case in Skokie.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office released the following statement.

“As in all cases, this matter was prosecuted to the fullest extent. The CCSAO will continue prosecuting cases based on the law and the evidence as we strive to increase safety in our communities across Cook County.”