AKRON, Ohio — The mayor and police chief of an Ohio city where a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot by police on Thanksgiving evening said bodycam video of the shooting raises questions that need to be answered. The boy’s family said Friday they also want answers.
Police have said Jazmir Tucker was carrying a loaded gun when he was shot. They said two patrol officers heard gunshots nearby just after 11 p.m. on Nov. 28 and got out of their parked cruiser to investigate. They ran into Tucker and ran after him. One of the officers then fired his long gun, hitting the teenager, 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 omits some details that often play a role in 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. However, another officer’s camera recorded police unzipping the fatally wounded teen’s jacket pocket and pulling out a gun.
The roughly eight-minute video also started without sound for 30 seconds, a feature that occurs every time an officer activates the camera. It was during this time that the officer chased Tucker, raised his gun and fired at him for about three seconds, firing approximately seven times.
Once the noise starts, the officer and others can be heard yelling at Tucker, who was on the ground, and repeatedly telling the unresponsive teen to raise his hand. Between eight and 10 officers eventually converged on Tucker about seven minutes after he was shot. At that point, he was handcuffed and officers searched his pockets. Police have not released details about what officers did to save his life.
In statements from Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Akron Police Chief Brian Harding after the video was released Thursday evening, Malik said the recording left him with many questions, including why officers didn’t immediately turn on their body-worn cameras after exiting their cruiser . and why it took so long for officers to administer first aid to Tucker.
“In retrospect, the amount of time that passed between the shooting and the beginning of physical assistance to Jazmir is deeply troubling to me,” Malik said in the statement.
The police commissioner emphasizes 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 especially Jazmir’s family deserve and need answers to these questions,” Harding said.
The chief also extended his condolences to the family from Maple Heights, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) outside Akron. He described the shooting as “an outcome that none of us want to see.”
During a news conference with the family’s attorney, Tucker’s relatives said they were 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.
“Everyone loved Jaz, and Jaz loved everyone,” Sutton said.
The officer who fired the shots has been on the force for almost five years. He and his partner have been 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 investigation and the Akron Police Department is conducting a separate internal investigation.