Gun teen allegedly had in officer-involved shooting was fake: Akron police
***Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to indicate the person shot was a 15-year-old boy.***
AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — A 15-year-old Akron boy was reportedly taken to the hospital after a police-involved shooting in the city Monday evening.
Officers were called to the area of Tonawanda and Newton after a caller reported seeing a male pull out a gun and point it at houses nearby, according to the Akron Police Department.
An officer responding to the scene found the teen near the intersection of Brittain Road and Ottawa, a police report said.
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According to Akron police, the officer fired a shot, hitting the teen. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
As of Tuesday afternoon, investigators have not released the teen’s name at this time.
Akron police also announced Tuesday the gun the teen allegedly had ended up being fake.
The gun obtained following the shooting is described as a facsimile firearm — which is a toy or replica or starter pistol that could be perceived as a real gun — and was turned over to Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
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The officer, who is a nine-year veteran with the department, was placed on paid administrative leave, following normal procedure after an police-involved shooting.
BCI is handling the investigation. Office of Professional Standards and Accountability is also conducting an internal investigation into the shooting.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik released the following statement:
“Yesterday’s officer-involved shooting of a 15-year-old Akron resident is a tragic situation, and I’m grateful the young man was not more seriously injured and that the officer was not injured.
The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) arrived on scene last night and will conduct a thorough, independent investigation. At the conclusion of their investigation, they will turn their findings over to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for review and will then present the information to a Summit County Grand Jury for their evaluation.
Once BCI has completed their investigation, a separate internal investigation will be conducted by the Akron Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and Accountability, and those results will be shared with the City of Akron Police Chief and Independent Police Auditor for their review.
We are working to ensure the body camera footage will be released as soon as possible, within the next 7 days as required by city 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. “
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik
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