Akron Police Release Footage of Fatal Shooting of 15-Year-Old
Akron, Ohio – Body-camera footage depicting the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker on Thanksgiving night has sparked controversy, drawing reactions from city officials and community members. The incident, described by Mayor Shammas Malik as "deeply troubling," shows an officer firing at the teenager shortly after encountering him, but the footage does not clearly outline the circumstances leading to the shooting.
The video reveals that following the officer’s gunfire, there was a significant delay—reported as up to ten minutes—before officers attempted to provide medical aid to Tucker. Malik expressed concern over this delay, emphasizing that “any unreasonable delay in the rendering of aid by police officers is unacceptable.”
The timeline of events indicates that two patrol officers responded to nearby gunfire just after 11 PM. Upon pursuing Tucker, one officer discharged an assault rifle, fatally wounding him. Tucker, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital, was found with a gun in his pocket, raising questions about the justification for using lethal force. The mayor questioned the choice of weaponry, indicating it would be part of an internal investigation.
Family attorneys criticized the police’s approach, suggesting a tactical error that displayed aggression, while also highlighting that Tucker’s possession of a weapon only became known after he had been shot. Relatives described the teenager as a loving individual and conveyed their devastation over his loss.
The Akron Police Department has placed the involved officers on paid administrative leave as investigations, led by both the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and an internal police inquiry, are underway. This incident echoes community tensions following a previous police shooting and highlights ongoing concerns regarding police conduct and community relations in Akron.
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