The Akron Beacon Journal reported yesterday on the special prosecutor's decision on an APD shooting of a subject armed with a replica firearm 1 April of this year.
In the piece, the ABJ engages in some revisionist reportage on the incident:
“Body-worn camera footage showed Westlake pull up to 15-year-old Tavion Koonce who was walking along Brittain Road near Ottawa Avenue.
“After asking where Koonce was coming from, Westlake grabbed his police-issued firearm and fired a single shot, striking Tavion's right hand.”
This statement completely ignores the fact that the suspect drew the replica handgun from underneath his hoodie after the officer asked to speak with him.
From the Lake County Prosecutor who reviewed Ohio BCI’s investigation into the shooting:
“The uncontroverted evidence reveals that the conductor Tavion Koonce established more than sufficient grounds for the officer at the scene to have a reasonable and honest belief that the officer responding was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm," Sheppert wrote.”
Despite the calls from the media for independent investigations, they fan the flames of public outcry by misleading the readers. They even use an image from the BWC video after the shooting took place showing the suspect with his hands in the air.
This is activism masquerading as journalism and shows the bias our officers are up against in the media, activists, and social justice warriors.
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