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topicnews · August 28, 2024

Daughter of Akron man killed in police shooting demands justice

Daughter of Akron man killed in police shooting demands justice

Tiara Chavis wiped tears from her eyes and dabbed her face with tissues as she spoke of her father, Michael D. Jones, the pain of his death still fresh nearly 11 days after he was killed in a fatal police shooting.

Jones was killed in the early morning hours of August 17 after two Akron police officers were called to a gas station in Kenmore where a stolen U-Haul truck had been reported.

For Chavis, the incident was exaggerated and unnecessary.

“It was unfair. It wasn’t his fault,” she said. “I don’t feel like he was given a chance to cooperate.”

She called on the city of Akron to hold the officers who arrived at the scene accountable.

Footage from the filming: Akron police shooting footage shows Michael D. Jones fighting back as U-Haul drives away

The two Akron police officers who initially responded are now on paid administrative leave, per department policy. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident, while the Akron Police Department is conducting a separate internal investigation.

What happened in the seconds before the shooting?

Surveillance and body camera footage released by the city of Akron shows two officers entering a gas station in the 2200 block of East Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. on August 17.

The incident began with a verbal interaction lasting about 10 seconds. In the footage, an officer can be seen ordering Jones to exit the vehicle. When Jones asked why he was under arrest, an officer approached him and grabbed Jones, who was still sitting in the U-Haul. The second officer then grabbed Jones.

During the altercation, the truck drove out of the gas station and onto East Avenue with the two officers hanging out the driver’s door.

Two gunshots can be heard on body-worn camera video, and the struggle ends with Jones slumped facedown on the seat.

After the shooting and after Jones was placed in handcuffs on the street, an officer found a loaded gun on or around him, according to body-worn camera footage.

Brian Lucey, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Akron Lodge 7, said in a press release issued after the shooting that the incident was tragic and difficult for everyone involved.

In the press release, he described Jones as uncooperative.

Police: U-Haul was reported stolen two hours before fatal shooting

About two hours before the two officers approached Jones, a woman who worked for U-Haul called Akron police to report a stolen U-Haul box truck, according to a police report dated Aug. 16 at 11:54 p.m.

The report alleged that Jones rented the truck for 24 hours approximately 23 days earlier, on July 25, but never returned the vehicle to the U-Haul location in the 1500 block of Vernon Odom Boulevard.

The caller told the dispatcher in a 911 call that she had driven past Jones’ listed address about 4 miles away and saw an unknown man get into the truck and drive down Old Main Street.

When police found the vehicle, it was parked at a gas pump in the 2200 block of East Avenue, about 3 miles from the listed address, with Jones in the driver’s seat.

Who was Michael D. Jones?

Chavis is the eldest of Jones’ seven living children. She remembers her father as a family-oriented man who had a knack for music, including old-school rap.

“He loved his children,” she said. “Now it’s just hard knowing he’s gone. All the other relationships we wanted to have to bond with each other, we can’t have anymore.”

Jones attended Akron Public Schools at East High School, where he played football and wrestled. After graduating in 1988, he worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service before completing his degree at the University of Akron, according to his obituary.

Akron Municipal Court and Summit County Common Pleas Court records show Jones struggled with drugs throughout his life and had drug convictions. Despite his past, Chavis said he loved his children and they will miss him.

“We lost someone who truly loved us for who we are,” said Chavis

On Sunday, her family, friends and community members held a candlelight vigil to remember Jones, about a block from the gas station where he was killed. The next morning, her candles and memorial were removed, she said.

“The good thing is that the family was there,” she said. “They are ready to be there if we need them.”

Tiara Chavis and lawyer Bobby DiCello question the police’s actions

After reviewing body-worn camera footage of the fatal shooting, Chavis said her father was not given a chance to cooperate.

“He was not given direct orders and they took them from him before he knew what was going on,” Chavis said. “They should have identified who he was. It could have been mistaken for someone else.”

In their opinion, the situation escalated to such an extent that everyone was unnecessarily put in even greater danger.

“I just want them to be held accountable for not properly completing the training they received,” Chavis said.

For Bobby DiCello, the attorney representing Chavis and her siblings in the case, the incident escalated when officers attempted to arrest Jones in the vehicle.

“Who started this? Who started the violence?” DiCello asked. “It wasn’t the guy in the vehicle, Michael.”

He said no one deserves to be killed over a stolen rental vehicle, referring to the U-Haul that was reported stolen.

“You have to prove that Michael stole the vehicle and that he had the intent to rob the owner of the vehicle,” DiCello said.

Black elected officials: “Michael Jones should be alive”

Black elected officials in Summit County are calling for immediate reform of police procedures following the shooting that killed Jones.

A letter released Tuesday titled “Michael Jones Should Be Alive” calls on Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, Akron Police Chief Brian Harding and the Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board to “review and revise policies regarding the use of deadly force to achieve de-escalation.”

According to the group, led by Akron City Councilwoman Linda Omobien, de-escalation is at the heart of the problem.

First report: Akron police officer shoots 54-year-old man at gas station on East Avenue

“The current process leads to avoidable fatal consequences and lacks the respect and dignity that every person deserves,” the letter says. “It also does not promote public trust in police work.”

In the letter, Omobien called for stronger police-community relations and measures that would reduce the likelihood of fatal incidents involving police.

“Make no mistake, BEOSC stands firmly for strong law enforcement in our communities, but we will not tolerate excessive force,” she wrote. “There is no place for this level of disregard and contempt for human life in our city.”

Three days before this letter was published, Akron City Councilman Eric Garrett called on the U.S. Department of Justice to review Akron Police Department policies and practices.

“I stand by Mr Jones’ family during this incredibly difficult time,” he wrote.

He also called for transparent investigations, police reform aimed at de-escalation and training on how to deal with legally armed citizens.

“Mr. Jones did not have to die,” Garrett wrote.

Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. Reach him by email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @bryce_buyakie.

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