AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Police Department on Saturday released surveillance and body camera footage depicting the Aug. 17 shooting in which an officer fatally shot a man suspected of stealing a vehicle in the parking lot of an East Avenue gas station.
The footage shows the moments that led up to and followed 54-year-old Michael Jones' attempted arrest and eventual shooting at the hands of an Akron police veteran who has been with the department for two and a half years. The department provided bodycam footage from the two officers on scene as well as security footage from the gas station's exterior.
In the video, an officer is seen walking up to Jones, who is sitting in the driver's side of a U-Haul truck and telling him to exit the vehicle multiple times. When the officer informs Jones he is under arrest, Jones responds, "for what?," before the police officer appears to attempt to grab him and a struggle ensues.
Bodycam footage is heavily obstructed from that point on, but the surveillance footage shows the vehicle drive away as the officers appear to hang from the open driver side door. In the bodycam footage, the car's horn can be heard and what appears to be Jones's arms can be seen turning the vehicle's steering wheel before the officer apparently warns, "You're going to get [expletive] shot" and two shots ring out.
After the gunshots, Jones's head snaps back and his arms are seen moving upward before his body slumps backward.
One of the officers called out to dispatch, mentioning the number "32" and stating that a male was "shot in the side." Akron police officials clarified to 3News that the call is asking for medical assistance on site.
Video shows an officer dragging Jones out of the vehicle, handcuffing him and calling for backup, saying Jones had driven off with the officers in the car.
"We need lots of units here," the officer is heard saying on the bodycam footage. The officer then tells the other officer on scene to retrieve a medical kit and get a chest seal.
In the police department's original press release about the shooting, the department said officers immediately rendered first aid to Jones. Video shows that officers first removed Jones from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs before retrieving the medical kit roughly 50 seconds after shots first rang out.
As he retrieved equipment from his cruiser, about one minute after the gunshots, the officer reminds dispatchers that "we need that EMS now."
Akron police previously said a gun was recovered from inside the vehicle. The department clarified Saturday, as shown in the footage, that the gun was found "on or near Mr. Jones after he was removed from the vehicle."
According to a press release from the Akron Police Department, the department received two 911 calls relating to the police shooting. One of the callers alleged Jones was shot while handcuffed, a claim that is inaccurate according to the footage the department provided.
The officer who shot Jones has been placed on paid administrative leave per department procedure as the shooting is investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The APD has not identified the officer.
The Akron Police Department said its standards and accountability office would conduct a separate internal investigation into the shooting, with the results provided to Police Chief Brian Harding and Police Auditor Anthony Finnell for review.
Attorney Bobby DiCello, who is representing Jones' children via his firm DiCello Levitt, issued the following statement to 3News:
“The children of Michael Donnell Jones had a private viewing of the video which showed the last, tragic moments of Michael’s life, and were devastated by what they saw. They struggle to understand why the officers leapt into the truck, why they then tased him, and why they shot him, especially when Michael made no threats toward them of any kind.
"It appears the officers tased Michael and shot him, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.
"Michael’s children were most impacted by Michael’s last moments as he was dragged out of the truck and appeared to brace himself as he was thrown onto the pavement where he died.
"Michael’s children are committed to getting justice for Michael, and they urge the City of Akron to hold the officers accountable."
"While it is never easy to watch someone’s last moments, I believe it is important that our community has a clear picture of what we know so far," Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a statement shortly after the footage was released. "I also want to acknowledge that the investigative process is in the beginning stages."
"I am committed to making sure our community continues to have robust, open conversations about public safety, in order to strengthen a collective sense of safety in Akron," Malik said. "My thoughts remain with the loved ones of Mr. Jones, and with the officers involved.”
WARNING: The video below contains content that some may find disturbing.
Mayor Malik's full statement can be read below: