Akron police recover fake gun from teen who was shot in the arm by officer

Akron police recovered a fake gun from a 15-year-old boy who was shot Monday night by an officer responding to reports of a teen aiming a weapon at homes in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood.

The teen, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital with what police say were non-life-threatening injuries. Mark Williamson, director of marketing and communications for Akron Public Schools, confirmed Wednesday that the boy is a ninth-grader at East High School.

The replica gun has been turned over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), which is conducting an independent investigation, according to Akron police.

A 911 call came into the police department at about 7 p.m. from a woman who reported seeing a male pull out a gun and point it at houses on Tonawanda Avenue and Newton Street.

A responding officer shot the teen in the arm, according to Akron police. The shooting occurred near Ottawa Avenue and Brittain Road.

The officer, a nine-year veteran of the Akron Police Department, has has been placed on paid administrative leave, per departmental protocol.

After the BCI completes its review of the shooting, the case will be turned over to the Ohio Attorney General's Office for review before being submitted to a Summit County grand jury to determine if charges against the officers are warranted.

A separate internal investigation also will be conducted by the Office of Professional Standards and Accountability.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik called the shooting "a tragic situation" and said "I’m grateful the young man was not more seriously injured and that the officer was not injured."

He said the city is working to ensure the body camera footage will be released as soon as possible with seven days, as required by law.

"These kinds of incidents are some of the most challenging for our community to grapple with, and I would ask that we all reserve judgment until more information is shared,“ Malik said.

In a separate statement, the Akron's Citizens' Police Oversight Board wrote that it "is deeply saddened" by the shooting of the 15-year-old.

"While we are relieved to know that his injures are not life-threatening, a family from our community and the neighborhood where this happened are dealing with the trauma of having this occur where they live and where children play. An Akron officer is also left dealing with the traumatic impact of having to use deadly force."

Neighbors say what they heard, saw after Akron police shot teen

Van Marshall was sitting in the back room of his house Monday evening when he heard a single gunshot ring out.

Peering out his window, Marshall saw two Akron police officers standing in front of his house as cruisers filled Brittain Road, he recalled Tuesday morning. Then he saw a young man stand up and walk to an ambulance.

Marshall and his neighbors heard the gunshot but did not see the shooting or witness what led to the incident.

"I have no clue what happened," Marshall said. "I'm assuming he got shot right here, but I'm not sure."

Police shooting: Teen hospitalized after Akron police shooting in Goodyear Heights

He later learned what happened.

In a home across the street from Marshall, Karen Parks was sitting on the couch when she heard the gunshot. Startled by the noise, Parks looked out the window and saw over a dozen police cars, first responders and a teenager lying in the grass.

At the same time, two doors down, another neighbor who asked not to be identified was in the shower when the shooting happened.

"I heard a noise and thought a cat knocked something over," the 25-year-old recalled.

Leaving the shower to see what happened, she found her cats and birds in a panic. After she calmed them down, she looked out the window and saw the street lined with police cruisers. Then she noticed the 15-year-old.

"He was yelling in pain," she said.

Neither woman saw the shooting take place, but both saw the aftermath when emergency personnel arrived on the scene.

"I want to make sure it was the right call, but I don't know what happened," the 25-year-old said. "It's sad that a 15-year-old was shot. It's all really unfortunate no matter what."

Community leaders react to officer-involved shooting in Akron

Judi Hill, president of NAACP Akron, said the incident elicits emotions similar to what she felt after the fatal police shooting of Tamir Rice, 12, in Cleveland back in 2015. However, she remains hopeful that the 15-year-old will live.

“My heart goes out to the family,” Hill said. “Kids are kids and I had been thinking about it and what would I do and what I think my kid would do. It will give us an opportunity to take a deep dive into a little bit more of the situation of who, what and the where, and really find out how we can stop this.”

Ward 10 Akron Councilwoman Sharon Connor said the situation was unfortunate. She also emphasized the importance of finding outlets for Goodyear Heights' children and teens, especially with the temporary closure of Reservoir Park Community Center.

“Youth violence has touched every neighborhood in one way or the other and that's why we're trying to work hard through all the mentoring groups around there, providing ARPA funds and things like that, to help our young people navigate this world that they live in,” Connor said.

The Rev. Raymond Greene Jr., executive director of Freedom Bloc, said he has submitted records requests for body camera footage and 911 calls related to the incident. While Greene confirmed he is in contact with the teenager's family, he said he has no comments at this time.

Beacon Journal reporters Anthony Thompson and Tawney Beans contributed to this report. Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron police recover fake gun from teen who was shot by officer