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Public commenters urge Akron council to hold officers accountable, call for firing of Davon Fields
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the Akron City Council meeting described police misconduct, tear-gassing at protests, and called for the firing of Officer Davon (Devon) Fields and an end to qualified immunity; no council action on those demands was recorded.
Several residents used the council's public comment period to describe encounters with police, allege misconduct, and call for accountability in the wake of high-profile incidents involving Akron police.
A speaker who identified as Apostolate offered condolences to the mothers of Jalen Walker and Jasmine Tucker and said, "That should never be the law." Apostolate framed the remarks as a call for equality in policing.
Tamara Coty described an incident she said occurred on April 19, 2023, when she said Akron police and the Summit County Sheriff's SWAT team used tear gas at a protest for Jaylen Walker. Coty said she was diagnosed with COPD after the event and described the experience as traumatic. She called for systemic change: "Qualified immunity needs to be done away with," she told the council, and later said, "Davon Fields needs to be fired, not only because of Lawrence Rogers or Jasmine Tucker, simply because it is the right thing to do."
Another commenter urged that an officer who allegedly killed a 15-year-old not remain on paid leave five months after the shooting; the speaker asked whether the council would learn about the bike-lane plans before learning whether the officer remained employed. These speakers framed their remarks as requests for accountability and for local officials to act or use their influence.
Council members acknowledged the comments and, where appropriate, offered to speak with commenters after the meeting. The meeting record shows no formal council motions, investigations, or personnel actions initiated during the session in response to the public comments.
