Body camera footage released from an Ohio police department put to rest some stipulations regarding the fatal shooting of a Black man accused of stealing a U-Haul truck.
The Akron Police Department said in a release they approached 54-year-old Michael Jones on Aug. 17 after receiving a report from U-Haul about a rental vehicle that wasn’t returned at the agreed upon date. Officers located the vehicle at a gas station with Jones inside.
According to the body camera video released Saturday, an officer approached the car, knocked on the window and then opened the door. The officer then repeatedly ordered Jones to step out of the vehicle. “What’s going on?” Jones asked in the video, which is age-restricted and can only be viewed on YouTube.
“You’re under arrest. Get out of the car,” the officer responded.
“For what?” Jones asked, per the video.
Without answering his question, the officer then reached for Jones and tried to drag him out of the car, per the video. The two struggled before Jones appeared to pull off while the officer hung onto the driver door and another officer was inside on the passenger side. “You’re going to get f-cking shot,” one officer barked.
Within seconds, Jones was shot twice by the officers. In the video, Jones’ head flys back and his arms flail upward before he slumps over. What police say happened next bears inconsistencies with the footage.
Police said in a press release prior to the video that the officers “immediately” rendered aid to Jones. However, the video shows them removing him from the truck and handcuffing him before grabbing their medical kit and calling EMS.
Police also said a gun was recovered from inside the truck. However, following the video release, authorities released a new statement clarifying the firearm was found “on or near” Jones after he was removed from the vehicle.
The last conflicting piece of information comes from two 911 calls made regarding the incident. The department said one caller alleged Jones was shot while in handcuffs. Though, the footage showed he was shot while operating the vehicle.
The officer who shot Jones, who has not been named publicly yet, has been placed on administrative leave, the department stated. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has joined the police department in investigating the incident.
It’s unclear the circumstances around Jones’ rental of the U-Haul. However, his family retained legal counsel following the incident to fight for justice.
“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,” said attorney Bobby DiCello in a statement via 3 News. “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,”