Akron police and mayor plan to review use-of-force policies

Amid the fallout from several high-profile use-of-force incidents by Akron police officers, the mayor’s office and police department leadership last month announced a new initiative to train officers and tentative plans to participate in community “discussions” to potentially inform the department’s actions to update the use of force policy, which in most cases allows force if it appears “reasonable” to an officer in the moment.

“We need systematic changes to our police system to improve policies, practices, training and culture to ensure we are doing everything we can to prevent tragic incidents,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said at a news conference on March 21. October.

The city’s use of force policy was addressed at the event after the mayor shared details about an Akron school resource officer striking a Firestone Community Learning Center student in the head several times several days earlier.

It was the second news conference in five days to respond to violent incidents involving Akron police officers and Black residents. On October 16, Malik publicly addressed the Dierra Fields incident for the first time – the mayor supporting Police Chief Brian Harding in his determination that the officer who physically beat and arrested the woman in January had done nothing wrong. He also announced a $4.85 million settlement in the lawsuit filed by the family of Jayland Walker, who was killed by Akron officers in 2022.

Among other violent incidents this year, APD officers shot and killed a man suspected of failing to return a rented U-Haul truck on time in August and shot and injured a 15-year-old carrying a fake gun in April. On Thanksgiving Day, an Akron police officer shot and killed 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker, who police say was carrying a gun in Sherbondy Hill.

According to APD statistics, 269 violent incidents were reported between January and October 2024, compared to 195 during the same period last year – a 38% increase. There were 33 use-of-force complaints filed between January and September 2024, compared to 24 during the same period last year – an increase of 37.5%.

In Harding’s September response to independent police auditor Anthony Finnell, in which he said he would reject Finnell’s criticism of the officers involved in the Fields case, the chief ended his letter by saying that the APD “de-escalation and use-of-force training.” is obliged”. ”

Harding said the department will implement a Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) training program called Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT). The goal is to address situations in which a person is behaving “erratically” or dangerously, may have mental health or substance abuse issues, and does not own a weapon. The company says it reduces the use of force and injuries to both officers and civilians.

While PERF has a training facility in Decatur, Illinois, mayoral spokeswoman Stephanie Marsh said its ICAT trainers came to Akron on Oct. 15 and 16 and trained 22 APD members in the program. Those 22 people will train additional officers as part of the department’s annual training in late January or February, she said.

The ICAT training program consists of seven “modules” taught over a day and a half period. The focus is on a “critical decision model”, “crisis recognition”, “tactical communication”, responding to “suicide by police” scenarios and “operational tactics”. and “Prevent problems before they occur.”

“This will give our first responders the tools, skills and options they need to successfully and safely respond to a range of critical incidents,” Harding said at the Oct. 16 press conference.

At his Oct. 21 news conference, Malik said his administration had reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice to have “early discussions” about a use-of-force review, similar to what the Justice Department did with the Columbus Division of Police.

Marsh told Signal Akron on Nov. 13 that “we are not seeking your formal involvement at this time and are focusing on our comprehensive review of our policies.”

While Malik Harding agreed that Officer Thomas Shoemaker did not violate any department policy when he assaulted and arrested Dierra Fields, the mayor promised to review the policy and “have a real discussion about it” with the Office of the Independent Police Auditor and department leadership “. This is a community about what we want to see from our officers.”

Malik’s office has not yet released specific details about the review of the use of force policy.