By 6 p.m. Friday, several hundred people had assembled in Logan Square Park with plans to move to Mayor Lori Lightfoot's house nearby, though police barriers hindered them from coming too close.
The gathering started with thousands as they marched through the neighborhood, shutting down the six-corner intersection of Milwaukee, Diversey and Kimball around 7:30 p.m.
Many in attendance said they were there to rally about a system of policing that isn't working, and they wanted the mayor to hear that message.
"On social media, there's a ton of people that still deny this is even an issue, and so if you stop showing this, conversation stops," Chicago resident Gerald Parker said.
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The event was largely calm, but as it came to an end around 10 p.m., a small group of demonstrators still remaining in the streets began scuffling with police.
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At least two people were detained in association with the rally.
Activists are still calling for police reform, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she wants Chicago police to have a changed policy in effect before summer, as the Adam Toledo case has critics calling out the city for opposing change on foot pursuits for several years.
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Before Thursday's fiery events, the city and some businesses prepared for the chance of violence. Windows were covered up and city vehicles stood ready to block traffic, scenes suggestive of last spring after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody.
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An online wake is scheduled for Saturday night, and a small peace walk is expected Sunday, but Chicago police are prepared for the possibility of more protests throughout the weekend.
The chief of the Chicago Police Union on April 16 called the actions of the officer who shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo “justified” and “heroic.”
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Chicago Police Union President John Catanzara said on Thursday that the officer had less than one second to assess whether Toledo was still holding a gun in his hand as he turned around.
“There is no way a rational person can say they can process that and their muscle reaction would be less than one second,” Catanzara told CNN.
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Bodycam video from the officer who shot shows him going after Toledo before the teen stopped near a gap in a wooden fence and turned around abruptly raising his hands to surrender. A split second before Toledo turned around, the video appeared to show a handgun in his right hand.
Bodycam footage from a second responding officer shows a handgun on the ground behind the fence.
“The officer does not have to wait to be shot at or shot in order to respond and defend himself,” Catanzara said.
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