AKRON, Ohio — Following the release of body camera footage on Tuesday showing an Akron police officer shooting a man multiple time, that man's family wants answers.
The family of Corey Phillips, 36, is now trying to understand why this happened and said Phillips was shot eight times.
Tessa King is the mother of Phillips's six children. She saw the body camera footage after it was released.
"Shock. And I think I was trying to prepare myself for it, but there's nothing on earth that can prepare you for that," King said.
King said that Phillips remains in the hospital, recovering from being shot.
"I can't conceptualize why they couldn't de-escalate the situation," she said.
The shooting happened in the late hours of Nov. 11 at a business plaza near Albrecht Avenue and High Grove Boulevard.
RELATED: Akron officers confront allegedly armed man, make 'split-second' decision, police union says
Officers responded to the area for a report of a fight and an intoxicated man allegedly pointing a gun and threatening people.
A woman who works at Karam's Lounge reported that Phillips was armed.
"It's like a black 9-millimeter, it looks like. He aimed it through the window and tried to shoot," the woman said in the 911 call.
Body camera video captured what happened as an Akron officer confronted Phillips in the parking lot. The officer told Phillips to take his hands out of his pockets. The video shows Phillips raise his hands, then drop them to his side, feel his pant legs and the front of his jacket. Moments later, officer Caleb Bodjanac opened fire.
Watch the body camera footage:
RELATED: Akron body camera footage raises questions as to whether a man shot by police had a weapon
"Get the (expletive) on the ground right now. You're gonna get shot. Get on the ground. You're gonna get shot. Get out of your pocket. Get out of your pocket," the officer said in the body camera footage.
According to Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, Phillips did not have a gun on him when he was shot.
"I think that raises the utmost concern is that there was no gun on him in the first place. There was no reason to use any sort of lethal force," King said.
Brian Lucey, the president of the Akron Police Union, said it's up to BCI to investigate, but he believes the officer was justified using deadly force.
"The information that the officer received when responding was that this individual was armed with a firearm. This individual did not comply with any commands. He was reaching in his pockets," Lucey said. "Hindsight is easy. It's always easy to watch a two-dimensional video and say, 'You could have done this and you could have done that.'"
Dr. DeLacy Davis, a national use of force expert and former police sergeant from New Jersey, reviewed the body camera footage.
"I think I counted about 14 or 15 rounds that were fired in a matter of seconds," Davis said.
Davis said he doesn't second guess the officer's mindset, but in his opinion, the shooting looked like excessive force.
"You don't see a gun, and so if you don't see a gun— just because it's been reported that the man has a gun— is not necessarily justification for opening fire," Davis said. "The question is at what point do you stop firing?"
Bodjanac remains on paid leave. After BCI completes its investigation, the case will be turned over to the Ohio Attorney General Office before it is presented to a Summit County grand jury.
