Bodycam footage released by the mayor and police chief of Akron, Ohio, where police killed a 15-year-old boy on Thanksgiving night, offers little clarity on the events leading up to the officer-involved shooting.
Jazmir Tucker was fatally shot in Akron on Nov. 28 just before 11 p.m.
According to a police press release, a pair of patrol officers were parked in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood at the time, reviewing an unrelated case, when they heard gunshots ring out nearby. The officers exited their cruiser to investigate, and almost immediately encountered Tucker, authorities said.
Police previously said the teen was carrying a loaded weapon, prompting one officer to shoot, but stopped short of explaining what happened in the moments before the gunfire. More than a week later, the events of those fateful seconds still remain unclear, even after the release of bodycam footage from that night.
The first clip, roughly eight minutes in length, starts off with the officers pursuing Tucker. One of them eventually fires off about seven rounds, fatally striking the teen. But the arm of the shooting officer and a long gun block the camera’s view, obscuring whatever Tucker was doing right before he was shot.
That portion of the footage, the first 30 seconds or so, are without audio due to a feature triggered each time the camera is activated. When the sound eventually kicks in, the officers can be heard ordering the mortally wounded teen to put his hands in the air.
“He was reaching with his right hand,” one officer says. “We need someone to check the parking lot behind us, that’s where he was shooting.”
Between eight and 10 officers ultimately converged on Tucker in the seven minutes after he was shot. They eventually go on to render aid, but only after handcuffing the teen.
In footage from a separate bodycam, police can also be seen searching the unresponsive teen. One officer unzips his jacket pocket, then pulls out a flashlight and handgun with what appears to be an extended magazine.
“The amount of time that expired between the shooting and the initiation of physical aid to Jazmir is deeply troubling to me,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a statement.
Akron Police Chief Brian Harding added that the case is still 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.”
While only one of the cops — a five-year veteran — fired their weapon, both officers have since been placed on administrative leave per department policy and are cooperating with investigators. Neither of their names have been released.
With News Wire Services
