AKRON, Ohio — A 15-year-old suspect was taken to the hospital after being shot by an Akron police officer Monday evening.
According to a release from the department, the incident occurred in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood, with a woman calling authorities and claiming the teen was pointing a gun at homes near the intersection of Tonawanda Avenue and Newton Street.
The officer located the suspect several blocks away in the area of Brittain Road and Ottawa Avenue, firing a single bullet that struck the boy outside of a home.
"Oh, it scared me," Karen Parks, who lives across the street, said. "I heard a shot. I looked out and the police was over there and that kid was laying on the ground."
The teen's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, per officials. The officer, identified only as a nine-year veteran of the Akron Police Department, has been placed on administrative leave as part of investigative protocol.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) will handle the inquiry of the matter, with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and a Summit County grand jury eventually tasked with the final review. Akron's Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will also conduct its own investigation.
A man who identified himself only as the teen's uncle said he also heard the shot, but had no idea it involved his nephew until later that night.
"He’s a good kid," the man told 3News. "I mean, he don't do anything but go and hoop and walk to his granny's house."
Following the incident, Akron police report that officers recovered "what appears to be a facsimile firearm that the teen allegedly had in his possession in the moments leading up to the shooting." Officials add that the "facsimile firearm" was photographed and turned over to the Ohio BCI.
"I don’t want to have to know that I have to worry about gunfire coming through my own home," said Billiejo Smith, who lives down the street from where it happened. "It's sad. It really truly is, but we're trying to leave the area."
On Tuesday, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik released the following statement about the shooting:
“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 police say the incident remains under investigation.