AKRON, Ohio — It's been nearly four months since Jazmir Tucker was fatally shot by Akron Police, but the community is making sure the teen's name is never forgotten.
RELATED: 'Deeply troubling': Body camera footage released in deadly police shooting of Akron teen
The footage
News 5 was provided with a nearly 30-minute compilation of different angles of body-worn camera footage and one dash camera video in December.
According to the Akron Police Department, a pair of patrol officers were parked in their marked cruiser at East Avenue and Vernon Odom Boulevard on Thanksgiving night when they heard gunshots nearby and exited their patrol car.
Body camera shows a five-year veteran officer running towards the outside of Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, where they encountered Tucker.
It’s unclear what the officer saw when approaching Tucker based on the footage provided. Lights were pointed at him, and guns were covering most of what we could see in the video.
A concealed firearm was recovered from Tucker's zipped up jacket pocket, though.
In January, the Summit County Medical Examiner released the autopsy report summary for Tucker, revealing that he was hit by three bullets shot by Akron police, two of them in the back and one in the arm.
RELATED: Akron police shot Jazmir Tucker 3 times, according to autopsy report
The investigation is still ongoing.
What would have been Jazmir Tucker's sweet sixteen
Tuesday, March 11, dozens of loved ones and advocates marched through downtown Akron.
"No justice, no peace!," people chanted.
The march made a pit stop at the Akron Police Department late Tuesday afternoon where a release of balloons happened.
"We're here to support the family, to remember Jazmir, to celebrate his life and what he should have been," William Reynolds told me.
Among the crowd was Tucker's girlfriend of more than a year, Raina Brazil Batties.
"How would you describe your relationship with Jazmir?," I asked her.
"It was exciting, tried out new things together, went to new places together, just did a lot," she said. "[He was] sweet, caring, thankful."
She explained how the last several months without Tucker have been some of her hardest.
"It's been hard like to get through it and people coming up to you asking about it and stuff, but you just gotta push through, do what you do best and try not to end your life to be with him," Batties shared.
Batties said she showed up in downtown Akron on Tuesday to celebrate Tucker's birthday.
"Last year, I celebrated his birthday with him. We were all together, took pictures together. I got a picture of him on his last birthday. I posted it. It just don't feel right without him here for his birthday with his twin," Batties added.
In addition to the birthday memorial, those in attendance wanted to make a statement to Akron Police.
Hundreds of red flower petals were strewn in front of the Akron Police Department.
"[The flower petals] are supposed to represent the blood of all the African American men that have been killed by Akron police in the last 25 years," Reynolds explained. "The police aren't supposed to be the enemy, and I believe that the vast majority of the police don't want to be an enemy, but we really need to weed out the bad actors. I'd like to see the police oversight board actually be able to have some teeth and be able to do investigations and actually bring charges instead of just recommendations."
Many are still calling for the firing of the officer who killed Tucker, including Batties.
"I feel like they kind of twisted it up," Batties said. "Why is he still here? He should have been gone."
As the crowd started marching towards a nearby cemetery to finish Tucker's birthday memorial, many crossed the street through traffic and an Akron police officer sounded his siren — pushing through the crowd to break everyone up.
People then surrounded the patrol car and started chanting "Jazmir Tucker!"
The patrol car drove off within a couple of minutes, and the crowd continued towards the cemetery.
Family and friends told me they'll remember Tucker as "forever 15."
