Teenager Shot by Police in Akron After Being Mistaken for Holding a Fake Gun

Body camera footage released by the City of Akron on Monday shows the April 1 shooting of teenager Tavion Koonce-Williams, who was shot in the hand after a 911 caller reported him to police for holding what was later determined to be a toy gun.

Attorney Imokhai Okolo, who represents the teen and his family, released a statement on Monday, saying that the family of the East High School student is "heartbroken" and is seeking justice. "The officer's file includes a number of disciplinary actions and use of force incidents, one of which has been deemed unreasonable. Additionally, the city anticipates having further information to release in the coming weeks," according to the statement released by the city on Monday.

This image shared by the city of Akron shows a fake gun that was held by a teen who was shot by an Akron police officer on April 1, 2024.Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a statement on Monday that the city released the body camera footage and the officer's personnel file in an "effort to be as transparent as possible."

A responding officer approached "the subject matching the colors description" at approximately 7:11 p.m. local time while he was walking on Britton Road, near the corner of Ottawa Avenue, according to police. Video shows the teen crying in pain throughout the incident as officers place him in handcuffs while he is on the ground. He tells police that he was on his way home from his cousin's funeral and says that his grandmother lives down the street."I'm a good kid, I get A's in school, I play football," he tells officers as they render first aid.

Akron Shooting Teenager Fake Gun Police Body Camera Footage

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