Jawari Porter

The Washington Post's Fatal Force database records Jawari Porter in a fatal on-duty police shooting on 2016-08-07 in Cincinnati, OH. Individual circumstances and legal outcome require case-specific review.

What happened

Jawari Porter, 25, was shot and killed by a Cincinnati police officer in the city's downtown business district on August 7, 2016. Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said Porter approached a cruiser carrying a knife and rushed at the officer as he opened the door, prompting the officer to fire. Authorities subsequently released surveillance video showing the encounter. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters reviewed the footage and announced on August 8 that the shooting was justified and that the officer would not face criminal charges. Court records reported by the Associated Press added important context: Porter had been found incompetent to stand trial during an earlier criminal case and had been ordered into mental-health treatment in 2015. Police characterized the encounter as an immediate knife attack; the prosecutor's no-charge determination addressed potential criminal liability and did not erase questions about how the confrontation unfolded or Porter's documented mental-health history.

Investigation & findings

Individual legal and investigative outcome not yet reviewed.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records