A Summit County grand jury declined to indict the Akron police officer that fatally shot 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker last November, according to a press release Thursday from Mayor Shammas Malik's office.
Two officers initially approached Tucker on Nov. 28, 2024, after hearing gunshots while working on a report from a previous call at East Avenue and Vernon Odom Boulevard, according to the initial police report. Body cam footage from the incident starts with officers running toward Tucker with weapons drawn. One officer, Davon Fields, fired at him with an AR-15 style rifle. Tucker is not seen in the video until he is being handcuffed. Police later found a handgun in Tucker's zipped coat pocket. The autopsy report showed Tucker was fatally shot two times in the back and was also shot in the arm.
The grand jury issued a no bill in the case, meaning Fields will not face criminal charges.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigated the case, which was then turned over to the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office to present to a grand jury.
The Akron Police Department will now conduct an internal investigation to determine if any department policies or procedures were violated. Once complete, the investigation will be turned over to the city's police auditor for review.
“There will undoubtedly be many reactions to today’s news. For those who wish to speak out – your speech and advocacy are constitutionally-protected, and the city of Akron will safeguard those rights," Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding said in a statement. "Violence and property damage are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
The fatal shooting of Tucker is the latest in a string of fatal police shootings against Black men, including the death of Michael Jones in August of 2024 and Jayland Walker in 2022. Walker's death led to outrage and calls for police reform, leading to a citizen-led charter amendment creating a Citizens' Police Oversight Board.
"Separate and apart from the criminal and disciplinary processes, we believe that fatal encounters should be examined for lessons learned," Malik and Harding said in the statement.
Malik announced last week that the city hired a national police research organization, Police Executive Research Forum, to perform a review of the police department's use of force policy.
"With their help, Akron will collectively seek the best outcomes possible in dangerous situations," Malik and Harding said in Thursday's statement.
