24-Year-Old Woman Found Not Guilty in Fatal Shooting on Video

Illinois v Xavier — Source: Mitchell Layton / Getty

A Hamilton County judge has found 24-year-old Akira Fletcher not guilty on all charges, including aggravated murder. This relates to a fatal shooting of a woman who vandalized her SUV and reached inside the vehicle while holding a knife.

The shooting happened on July 12, 2024, in the early morning hours in the parking lot of Fletcher’s apartment complex in Avondale. At the time, Fletcher was six months pregnant and had been dealing with ongoing damage to her Dodge SUV. Despite multiple calls to police and requests to break her lease or access security footage, Fletcher said she got no help.

That night, Fletcher decided to stay in her vehicle and record what she believed was another act of vandalism. Shortly after 2AM, two women – Nyema Norton and Jahkenya Hutchinson – approached her car. Testimony reveals both had been drinking, and they came with the intent to damage the vehicle. Hutchinson brought sugar to pour in the gas tank, and Norton had rocks and a knife.

Fletcher recorded several videos on her phone. In one, she can be heard yelling, “You going to jail” and “You going to get clapped,” as Norton smashed her window and slashed the tires. In the final video, Norton is seen reaching into the broken driver’s side window while holding the knife. Fletcher fired four shots from inside the SUV. Norton died more than a month later.

Fletcher’s attorney, Brandon Fox, argued the shooting was a clear case of self-defense. Under Ohio’s “stand your ground” law, individuals do not have to retreat before using deadly force if they believe their life is in danger. The law also presumes self-defense when someone illegally enters a vehicle.

Fox said Fletcher feared for her life and that of her unborn child. Judge Christian Jenkins agreed, finding her not guilty on all charges after a two-day bench trial.

“While the facts and circumstances involved in this case are tragic, this is a clear-cut case of self-defense,” Fox said in a statement. “We’re grateful the court heard the facts, applied the law, and came to the right conclusion.”