AKRON, Ohio –Fifteen-year-old Tavion Koonce-Williams, who was shot by an Akron police officer, has been charged for carrying a fake gun at the time of the shooting. The charge, “facsimile firearm,” is a first-degree misdemeanor. The incident occurred on April 1 in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood, sparked by a report of a teen pointing a gun at homes.
Body camera footage showed Officer Ryan Westlake shooting Koonce-Williams in the hand after asking to see his hands. Koonce-Williams repeatedly asserted the gun was fake. The gun, confirmed to be a “facsimile,” was turned over to investigators. Koonce-Williams’ family attorney criticized the charge, stating it’s not a crime for a 15-year-old to have a toy gun and accused the city of weaponizing charges against Black youth. The family demanded Westlake’s immediate termination from the police department.
