The Akron police officer who fatally shot 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker, Davon Fields, was previously involved in a fatal police shooting in 2022, according to Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation records.
The city of Akron confirmed to several news outlets that Fields is the officer who shot Tucker on Thanksgiving night.
Records obtained by Ideastream Public Media show this was not the first fatal police shooting Fields was involved in. He shot an armed man in 2022, and he also responded to the 2022 fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker, although he did not fire his weapon during that incident, according to BCI records.
Fields is named in the BCI report on the police shooting of Lawrence Rodgers. Fields and another officer shot Rodgers when he reportedly brandished a gun while they were responding to a call on Feb. 22, 2022. Then-police chief Stephen Mylett placed Fields on paid administrative leave that same day, according to Fields' personnel file.
The personnel files and use-of-force reports released to Ideastream by the city do not mention the 2022 shooting.
BCI records show officers repeatedly demanded Rodgers drop the gun and come out with his hands up.
Rodgers then walked in front of the officers with his right arm up, holding the gun. Officers shot Rodgers twice in the torso and twice in his left arm.
Both Fields and the other officer involved in that incident did not face criminal charges.
Fields is currently on paid administrative leave following the Tucker shooting.
That night, Fields and another officer were completing a police report for another incident when they reportedly heard gunshots, according to the police report. Body camera footage shows the officers locating Tucker and running toward him. There is no audio during the shooting itself because Fields and the other officer did not activate their body cameras.
Officers later recovered a handgun from Tucker’s zipped jacket. Shell casings found at the scene matched that gun, according to a federal analysis released Tuesday.
BCI is handling the probe into the Tucker shooting.
Community members and at least one Akron leader have called for Fields’ termination.
Fields’ personnel file shows he joined the Akron Police Department in 2019. He received satisfactory remarks in his previous performance reviews.
He previously served in the United States Army Reserve.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
