CLEVELAND, Ohio – The family of a 15-year-old boy who was fatally shot by an Akron police officer on Thanksgiving Day has retained civil rights lawyers who have sued cities over misconduct allegations.
Attorneys Michael Wright, Shean Williams and Stanley Jackson of the Cochran Firm said they will represent the family of Jazmir Tucker.
“Jazmir’s family has many questions for the Akron Police Department and is anxiously awaiting an opportunity to view any bodycam video that captured the deadly shooting,” the law firm said in a statement.
The shooting happened at East Avenue and Vernon Odom Boulevard shortly after 11 p.m., police said. The officers approached Tucker after they heard gunshots from their patrol car. One of the officers fired shots at the teen, who police said carried a loaded gun. The other officer did not use his weapon.
Capt. Michael Miller, a spokesman for Akron police, did not say why the officer fired shots at Jazmir. It is unknown if the teen pointed a gun at the officer.
The officer who fired shots has been on the force for five years. The other officer has been a part of the department for less than a year. Both men were placed on paid administrative leave.
Jazmir was a freshman at North High School in Akron. He had a twin brother, Amir.
The family’s lawyers have taken some high-profile cases to court over allegations of misconduct by officers. Jackson is the attorney for the family of Christian Thomas, an 18-year-old who was shot to death by three Cleveland Heights police officers in August.
Jackson also handled the Arthur Keith case, a 19-year-old man who was fatally shot in November 2020 by a former Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority police officer. The officer was never charged. U.S. District Judge Patricia Gaughan tossed the lawsuit in May. Jackson has appealed the decision to the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals.
In April, the firm’s lawyers settled the case of Tamia Chappman against the city of Cleveland for $4.8 million, years after the 13-year-old was killed during a high-speed chase.
The firm also represented the family of Datwuan Catchings, who was 22-years-old when he died following a chase by Maple Heights police in May 2022. Authorities say Catchings pointed a gun at officers before he was shot in the back as he ran from them. The case is pending in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.
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