AKRON, Ohio — Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh found an Akron police officer "took reasonable and prudent action" when he shot two brothers more than a dozen times outside a downtown Akron nightclub on October 1, 2017.
In the 11-page report, Walsh said Officer John Turnure used deadly force to "protect innocent civilians and his fellow officers" when he shot LaTrent Redrick and his brother, Jamon Pruiett.
"The prosecutor's office decided they wanted to cover-up this action," said Sarah Gelsomino, the attorney representing the brothers.
Gelsomino said the prosecutor's investigation ignored witness statements that contradict Turnure's account of the shooting.
Turnure said Redrick pulled out his gun on a crowded street and ignored commands to drop the weapon.
What Turnure saw before he opened fire remains a mystery. The officer failed to activate his body camera until the shooting was over.
After he started recording, Turnure can be heard telling Redrick to “F#%* off” as he lies on the ground waiting for an ambulance.
“I wish it existed,” said Pruiett, when asked about the missing body camera video. “It would be the truth of what actually happened.”
"Had Turnure followed the policy and turned on his camera maybe we would know what really happened," said Gelsomino. "What we do know is that there are varying version of this story."
The Summit County Prosecuting Attorney's office has not responded to our requests for a comment.
Lt. Rick Edwards, Akron police's spokesperson, declined our request for an on-camera interview. Edwards said Turnure will not be disciplined for failing to activate his body camera because he was responding to a threat to public safety.
Redrick and Pruiett filed a civil rights lawsuit against Turnure and the Akron Police Department in federal court. The case remains ongoing.
