AKRON, Ohio — 3News investigates has learned the Akron Police Department officer who fatally shot 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker last month also killed another suspect in the line of duty earlier in their career.
The prior shooting occurred in February 2022. 3News is choosing not to name the officer, because no charges have been filed and they have not been publicly accused of any wrongdoing as a result of the 2022 shooting.
According to investigative records from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, the incident occurred when Akron police were called to a scene on Ritchie Avenue around 2:46 a.m. The caller claimed that a suspect named Lawrence Rodgers was threatening the occupants of the home with a firearm.
Body camera footage obtained by 3News shows after officers arrived on scene, they established a position outside an exterior door, looking down a hallway. Officers can be heard repeatedly warning Rodgers to discard his firearm and come out empty-handed.
Rodgers refused to drop his weapon, and can be heard referring to "the real killer." Rodgers then appears in an open doorway, still brandishing a gun. At that point, multiple officers fire their weapons.
Investigative documents state that Rodgers retreated into the home where he shot and killed the occupant, before dying as a result of injuries he sustained after being shot by the Akron police officer who also shot and killed Jazmir Tucker. The officer's personnel file with the Akron Police Department does not mention the shooting directly, only referencing that the officer was placed on administrative leave on the same day that the shooting took place.
The officer’s file does not mention any formal discipline that was faced as a result of the 2022 shooting.