AKRON, Ohio — Nearly two years after Akron police officer Davon Fields shot and killed 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker on Thanksgiving night, questions remain about whether Fields will keep his job — even after a grand jury declined to indict him.
Brian Lucey, the president of Akron FOP Lodge #7, believes Mayor Shammas Malik wants to move forward with firing Fields.
On Wednesday, Lucey released a lengthy statement laying out some of his concerns.
Part of it reads, "Mayor Shammas Malik is trying to fire an Akron police officer an independent citizen grand jury cleared. The grand jury didn't give the mayor the answer he wanted. His own police department's internal investigation didn't either. So now, he's ordering do-over investigations until somebody hands him the political outcome he decided on long ago. The FOP won't let that stand."
CLICK HERE to read the full statement.
Lucey said his comments are based on rumors he believes will become reality.
"I have been doing this job long enough to look at something and I can tell when someone is being almost politically prosecuted or persecuted and that's what's going on here," Lucey said.
In November 2024, Fields shot and killed Tucker during a foot chase near Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts.
Body camera video shows a rifle shake, and the 15-year-old was struck three times, including twice in the back. Fields later told investigators he saw Tucker reaching for his waistband before the shooting. A gun was found in a zipped-up pocket of the teen's jacket.
Tucker's family and attorneys argued the shooting was not justified and have called for Fields to be fired.
"Hopping out of cruisers with assault rifles and gunning down 15-year-olds is not protecting and serving," attorney Robert Gresham said during a news conference in December of 2024.
In October 2025, a grand jury declined to indict Fields on a charge of murder. The Akron Police Department also conducted an internal review of the deadly shooting.
WATCH:
RELATED: Special grand jury chooses not to indict Akron officer who killed Jazmir Tucker
Stephanie Marsh, a spokesperson for the mayor, said on June 28 that two officers were presented with notices of disciplinary charges. Pre-disciplinary hearings were held Aug. 4. Final charges have not been filed, and the mayor will have "more to share on this soon."
Lucey said the union intends to stand behind Fields.
"We are going to fight for Officer Fields, and any other Akron police officer that comes to work and does their job exactly as they're trained to do so and the city decides to throw them under the bus," Lucey said.
National police procedure expert Tim Dimoff said internal police reviews to determine whether policies were followed can be lengthy, especially in controversial cases, and that a range of outcomes is possible — from no reprimand to termination.
"It could be and can be utilized as a reason to discipline, to put an officer on probation or to terminate him," Dimoff said.
Tucker's family did not respond to requests for comment. Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding declined to comment.
Tucker's family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in December of 2025.
WATCH:
RELATED: Jazmir Tucker's family files federal lawsuit over 15-year-old's death
In May, the city announced that Fields was placed on paid leave for a separate incident after a sexual assault allegation was made against him. He has not been charged, and the union said Fields denies the allegation. The Summit County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate that report.
