Jazmir Tucker, the 15 year old killed by an Akron police officer Thursday evening, was a freshman at North High School, according to a letter sent to staff at the school.

“The death of a student affects all of Akron Public Schools,” said Principal Charles Morrison in the letter. “The loss of a young life is always devastating, profound… an indescribable tragedy. We are united in grief as we come to terms with what is unimaginable.”

Jazmir was a student in one of Dana Starvaggi’s classes at North — she said he was ”a quietly charismatic guy who was always respectful to me as his teacher. He had the ability to miss class and then come in and do the work quicker than his peers, like he didn’t miss anything when he was out.”

The 9th grade physical science teacher continued, saying, “Him and his twin [brother] both picked the same seat, unbeknownst to them, since they were in different classes, which I found amusing.”

She worried about him navigating his world at school and his world outside school. 
“I’m heartbroken for his friends and family. It breaks my heart to picture his empty seat in class, particularly knowing we lost him in such a tragic way.”

Morrison said grief counselors will be available to assist students and staff when school reopens Monday, Dec. 2.

“Whether your child knew Jazmir personally or is struggling with the broader impact of this tragedy, we are here to support you.” he said.

Fatal encounter with Akron Police Thanksgiving evening

An Akron Police officer fatally shot Jazmir around 11 p.m. Thanksgiving Day when the officer and his partner heard gunfire and encountered the teenager with a loaded firearm, according to a statement from the Akron Police Department.

The officer involved and his partner were sitting in their marked police cruiser filing a report from a previous incident when they heard gunfire and left their vehicle to investigate near Vernon Odom Boulevard and East Avenue in Akron’s Sherbondy Hill neighborhood.

One of the officers shot the teen, who was transported to a nearby hospital where he died, the police statement said. Police said they provided emergency first aid until EMS arrived.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik released a statement Friday about the shooting and identified the teen. “Every loss of life is a tragedy, and to lose a young life is heartbreaking,” he said. “My condolences are with Jazmir’s loved ones tonight. My thoughts are also with our Akron police officers and their families.“

Malik also asked for community members to “reserve judgment until more facts are shared, knowing that it is a difficult thing to ask in situations like this.” He said the city will release body-worn camera footage from the two officers in the next week.

Akron City Council passed legislation in June 2021 that requires the city to release video footage that documents an Akron Police officer’s use of deadly force or force that results in serious bodily injury within seven days of the incident. 

The two officers were uninjured in the incident and were placed on paid administrative leave per departmental procedure.

The officer involved in the shooting has served nearly five years with the department. The second officer, who has less than one year of service, did not fire his weapon, the release stated.

Balloon release planned

A balloon release in Jazmir’s memory is planned for Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, near where he was killed by police Thursday.

Editor’s note: The attribution for the quotes from Dana Starvaggi were corrected from a previous version of this article. The time of the balloon release was updated as well.

Economics of Akron Reporter (she/her)
Arielle is a Northeast Ohio native with more than 20 years of reporting experience in Cleveland, Atlanta and Detroit. She joined Signal Akron as its founding education reporter, where she covered Akron Public Schools and the University of Akron.
As the economics of Akron reporter, Arielle will cover topics including housing, economic development and job availability. Through her reporting, she aims to help Akron residents understand the economic issues that are affecting their ability to live full lives in the city, and highlight information that can help residents make decisions. Arielle values diverse voices in her reporting and seeks to write about under-covered issues and groups.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.