Body camera footage from the Nov. 11 encounter shows an officer firing within seconds as the mayor says it appears no gun was found.
AKRON, Ohio — An Akron police officer is on paid leave after shooting a 36-year-old man outside a bar on Nov. 11 in the city’s Ellet neighborhood, a confrontation captured on body camera that shows the wounded man telling officers, “I never had a gun,” as they render aid.
City leaders released the video and a 911 call on Nov. 18, placing the case under state review and intensifying scrutiny of how officers handle reports of an armed suspect. Mayor Shammas Malik said it is the city’s current understanding the man did not have a gun on him when the officer opened fire. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the probe, and Akron police will conduct a separate internal review as the community waits for answers about the officer’s decisions in the seconds before the shooting.
According to police, multiple 911 callers reported a fight with a gun shortly after 9 p.m. on Nov. 11 outside a bar on Albrecht Ave. in the Ellet neighborhood. One caller described a man who had been kicked out of the bar and said he was pointing what looked like a black handgun toward the building. Body camera footage released a week later shows an officer arriving, exiting his cruiser, and shouting commands for the man to remove his hands from his pockets and get on the ground. “Get on the ground or you’re going to get shot,” the officer says. Within roughly 25 seconds of stepping out of the vehicle, the officer fires more than a dozen rounds. Officers then move in, roll the man onto his stomach and handcuff him as he groans and tells them he can’t breathe. “I never had a gun, I never had a gun,” he says on the video. Police say officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived and took him to a hospital with serious injuries.
Officials have not publicly named the officer, who has about four years of law enforcement experience and roughly one year with Akron police, according to the department. The body camera compilation includes the responding officer’s perspective of the encounter near the reported location outside Karam’s Lounge. Police Chief Brian Harding said officers face “high-risk situations,” adding that while the department has high standards, there are “lessons to be learned” from the incident. Malik said he respects officers’ work but emphasized that even when actions may meet legal standards, the city must examine training and tactics. As of last week, the department was in the final weeks of a de-escalation program known as Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics, officials said. The man who was shot remained hospitalized; a family member identified him as Corey Phillips and said he faces a long recovery.
Context from the released materials helps explain the rapid escalation. The 911 caller from the bar described a “black 9mm” and said the man aimed through a window and tried to fire, but the gun did not go off. A separate witness who spoke with local media said they saw a scuffle outside the bar and later called 911, but did not personally see a firearm. In the footage, the officer repeatedly orders the man to keep his hands visible. At one point the man’s hands appear up; moments later he moves his hands toward his jacket and pants again, and the officer shoots. After the shooting, officers can be heard asking, “Where’s the gun?” The video does not show a firearm being recovered from the man. City officials said investigators are working to determine whether the man had a weapon earlier in the night, based on the calls and witness accounts.
Akron has wrestled with police use-of-force debates in recent years, and city leaders have moved forward with a broader review of policies and training. Malik said the current review aims to align the department with national best practices and improve outcomes in volatile encounters. Harding said the goal of the ongoing assessment is to strengthen how officers approach “dynamic and dangerous situations.” The Ellet neighborhood shooting drew renewed attention because the encounter unfolded so quickly and because the subject appeared unarmed at the time of contact, according to city statements. The case also arrives amid ongoing community conversations about when officers should hold distance, request additional units, or use less-lethal tools when a suspect’s weapon status is unclear.
By policy, the shooting triggered parallel investigations. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to the scene and is examining the officer’s use of deadly force and whether a firearm was present at any point before police arrived. When BCI completes its fact-finding, the case will go to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for legal review and then to a Summit County grand jury to decide whether any charges are warranted. Separately, the Akron Police Office of Professional Standards and Accountability is reviewing whether the officer followed departmental policies. The officer remains on paid administrative leave pending those outcomes. The city released the body camera video and the 911 audio on Nov. 18 and said further materials would be added to the record as they become available.
Outside the tape, additional voices have begun to shape the public narrative. “Any time someone is seriously injured in an encounter with police — even when responding to reports of a threat — it is a serious and sobering event for our city,” Malik said, calling the footage “difficult and confusing” and promising transparency. Harding said he is “thankful for the work of our officers” and reiterated the department’s commitment to learn from the case. A woman who shares six children with Phillips told local reporters he has “a massive recovery” ahead and questioned the number of shots. A witness near the plaza told a television station the situation unfolded in minutes and expressed frustration that it ended with gunfire. The released video shows officers calling for medical supplies, including shears and chest seals, as they begin treatment while securing the scene.
As of Monday, city officials said the man remained hospitalized and the investigation was active. BCI’s findings will be forwarded to state and county authorities before any prosecutorial decisions, a process that typically takes weeks. The police department’s internal review will proceed afterward. The next public milestone is the completion of the BCI report and submission to the attorney general’s office and the Summit County grand jury.
Author note: Last updated November 24, 2025.