An Akron, Ohio, police officer shot a 15-year-old boy after seeing what looked like a gun in his hand. On April 1, police shot the teenager in the hand, despite the boy claiming the gun was fake.

The shooting occurred on April 1 and was captured on body camera footage. The video was released on Monday.

The officer responded to a 911 call reporting a black man pointing a gun at the house.

In the video, Akron Police Officer Ryan Westlake yells at the 15-year-old victim, Tavion Koonce-Williams, to put his hands up and then almost Shots were fired immediately, striking the teen in the right hand.

“Hey, where are you from? Can I look at your hands quick?” the officer yelled before almost immediately shooting the teen in the right hand, the New York Post reported.

Tavion raised his hands in pain and argued that the gun was fake.

“This is fake! This is fake, I promise!” he said of the toy gun.

He explained that he had just attended his cousin’s funeral and insisted that he just wanted to be safe.

“My hands hurt. Sir, I want to be safe!” Tavion screamed as his hands were pinned behind his back.

“Come on, officer, I’m a good kid. Man, I got A’s in school. I play football. I just want to be safe. My cousin just passed away,” Tavion said.

Tavion also said his grandmother lived on the street before he was taken to the hospital.

Akron police officer Ryan Westlake, who was fired in 2021 for using derogatory language and facing other disciplinary issues, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, news portal Cleveland reported.

Westlake has also been in trouble in Florida for a “drunk off-duty incident,” the Plain Dealer reported. He reportedly admitted to holding his girlfriend at gunpoint while drunk.

After being suspended and reaching an agreement with the police union, Westlake returned to work.

Imokhai Okolo, an attorney for Tavion’s family, blasted Akron police over the shooting.

“The video released by the City of Akron today speaks for itself,” the attorney said in a statement.

“Tavion now finds himself among a group of black youths profiled and shot by the Akron Police Department with absolutely no reason or respect for human life. Black boys deserve to be safe without the threat of walking home and being shot by a police officer. Growing up and living under circumstances. Black boys deserve to be treated with dignity and humanity. Tavion deserves better — and so does the community, the attorney added, according to the Washington Post.