AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The mayor and police chief in an Ohio city where a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot by police on Thanksgiving night said bodycam video of the shooting raises questions that must be addressed. The boy’s family said Friday that they want answers, too.
Police have said that Jazmir Tucker was carrying a loaded weapon when he was shot. They said two patrol officers heard nearby gunshots just after 11 p.m. on Nov. 28 and got out of their parked cruiser to investigate. They encountered Tucker and ran after him. One of the officers then fired from his long gun, striking the teen, who was given first aid and then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.
The video released by police on Thursday lacks some of the details that often factor into police shooting investigations. The shooting officer’s arms and long gun block his camera’s view, obscuring whatever Tucker was doing in the moments before the shooting. Another officer’s camera, however, recorded police unzipping the jacket pocket of the mortally wounded teenager and pulling out a handgun.
The roughly eight-minute video also began without sound for 30 seconds, a feature that happens each time an officer activates the camera. It was during this time that the officer chased Tucker, raised his rifle and fired at him for about three seconds, shooting roughly seven times.
Once the sound begins, that officer and others are heard yelling at Tucker, who was on the ground, repeatedly telling the unresponsive teen to raise his hands. Between eight and 10 officers ultimately converged on Tucker about seven minutes after he was shot. At that point, he was handcuffed and officers searched his pockets. Police haven’t released details about what any of the officers did to try to save his life.
In statements issued by Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Akron Police Chief Brian Harding after the video was released Thursday night, Malik said the recording left him with many questions, including why officers didn’t immediately turn on their body-worn cameras after leaving their cruiser and why it took so long for officers to provide first aid to Tucker.
“In hindsight, the amount of time that expired between the shooting and the initiation of physical aid to Jazmir is deeply troubling to me,” Malik said in the statement.
The police chief stressed that the case is in its early stages. “My hope is that the investigation will provide more clarity,” Harding said.
“Our community, our department, and most importantly, Jazmir’s family deserve and need answers to those questions,” Harding said.
The chief also expressed condolences to the family from Maple Heights, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) outside Akron. He described the shooting as “an outcome none of us wish to see.”
Speaking during a news conference with the family’s lawyer, Tucker’s relatives said they are devastated by his death. Ashley Greene said her son was a “great kid.” His great-aunt, Connie Sutton, described him as a child who was always laughing.
“Everybody loved Jaz, and Jaz loved everybody else,” Sutton said.
The officer who fired the shots has been on the force for nearly five years. He and his partner were placed on paid administrative leave, per department policy, and their names have not been released. The Fraternal Order of Police Akron Lodge No. 7 said its members are cooperating with investigators.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the probe, and Akron police are conducting a separate internal investigation.
