Teen’s family speaks out after Akron officer-involved shooting

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – For the first time, a 15-year-old boy shot by an Akron police officer appears in public, as his family speaks out to the media, demanding answers and changes.

The Akron teen was shot in the hand by the officer, who thought a toy gun he was carrying was real.

Brian Lucey, president of Akron’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, says he stands by the facts in the case.

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But the family and attorney representing the teen insist the facts show the officer pulled the trigger top quickly and for no reason, and they demand that he be fired.

“Can I see your hands real quick?” Officer Ryan Westlake is heard on bodycam video, just before he fired a shot at 15-year-old Tavion Koonce-Williams on April 1.

“He was being a kid, walking down the street with a toy,” said family attorney Imokhai Okolo.

“It’s fake, it’s fake, it’s fake,” Koonce-Williams could be heard screaming after he was shot.

“It is my hope that justice will be served for my son,” said the boy’s father, James Koonce.

The 15-year-old sat between his parents at the news conference in Akron Friday morning.

The news conference included relatives, community members and the family’s attorney, all demanding answers from an police-involved shooting captured on Akron police body cameras.

“Officer Westlake pulled up and before he even got out of that vehicle, he shot at Tavion. He shot at Tavion as Tavion was putting the gun on the ground and having his hands up,” said Okolo.

Akron police received a call of someone pointing a gun at houses in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood.

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Officer Westlake, a nine-year veteran arrives on scene, encountered Tavion and spotted a fake gun that the officer believed is real, possibly a Tec-9 semi-automatic.

“My son was shot after he put down a toy gun while his hands was already in the air, as he clearly was saying that the gun that he threw down was fake,” said Tavion’s father.

“We don’t have the luxury of sitting around and having someone point a gun at us and saying ‘is that real or is that fake?’ nor are we expected to,” said Akron police union president Brian Lucey.

Lucey says Officer Westlake had to make a split second life or death decision.

He sent FOX 8 180 still frames from the body cam video, which he believes prove that the officer had little time to react.

“Frame by frame by frame, with the gun in his hand. Again, as I said before, we don’t have the luxury of having someone point it at us before we make that decision,” Lucey said.

Officer Westlake has several disciplinary actions in his personnel file, including unreasonable use of force. He was once fired from the department, but soon reinstated.

“One has nothing to do with the other, all right, this incident of the officer-involved shooting has nothing to do with the personnel file,” he said.

The teen’s family says the video shows that he was no threat.

“Akron Police Department needs to be held accountable for the excessive force that you use on our Black babies. It is not OK and we are sick and tired of watching our babies die in the hands of people who swore an oath to protect and serve. It has to stop,” said his mother, Angel Williams.

While state BCI agents investigate the shooting, Officer Westlake is on paid administrative leave.

Among other demands, the family and community leaders are calling for the Akron Police Department to more closely investigate questionable officers, and they want the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate what they call “patterns and practices” of misconduct involving civil rights.

Koonce-Williams’ attorney says his arm is healing, but he has not yet returned to classes at East High School.

The Akron FOP released the following statement, in full:

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