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July 03, 2022 • 50 minutes ago • 3 minutes read • 34 comments This image, captured by a police officer’s body camera and provided by the Akron Police Department on July 3, 2022, shows police surrounding the vehicle of the 25-year-old Jayland Walker during a traffic stop in Akron, Ohio, on June 27, 2022. Photo by Akron Police Department/AFP via Getty Images
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AKRON, Ohio – A black man was unarmed when Akron police chased him on foot and killed him in a hail of gunfire, but officers believed he had fired at them earlier from a vehicle and feared he was preparing to shoot again , authorities announced Sunday in a press conference.
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Akron police have released video of the killing of 25-year-old Jayland Walker, who was killed during a pursuit that began with an attempted traffic stop. The mayor called the shooting “heartbreaking” while appealing for peace and patience from the community.
It’s unclear how many shots were fired by the eight officers involved in the shooting, but Walker suffered more than 60 wounds. A lawyer for Walker’s family said officers continued to fire even after he was on the ground.
Officers tried to stop Walker’s car early Monday for unspecified traffic and equipment violations, but less than a minute into the chase, a gunshot rang out from the car and a transportation department camera captured what appeared to be lightning coming from the vehicle, Akron Police Chief Steve Maillett said. That changed the nature of the case from “a routine traffic stop to now a public safety issue,” he said.
Police body camera videos of the nighttime confrontation show the minutes that followed. Several screaming police officers with guns drawn walk up to the slowing car, which flips over a curb and onto a sidewalk.
A man in a ski mask exits the passenger door and runs towards a parking lot. Police chased him for about 10 seconds before officers opened fire from multiple directions, in a series of shots that lasted 6 or 7 seconds.
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At least one officer first tried to use a stun gun, but that was unsuccessful, police said.
Maillett said Walker’s actions were difficult to distinguish in the live video, but a still photo appeared to show him “going down to his waist” and another showed him addressing an officer. He said a third photo “captures his arm moving forward.”
Officers were assigned to the crime scene afterward, and each showed a belief that Walker had moved into a firing position, Maillett said.
The footage released by police ends with the officers being shot and does not show what happened in the moments after.
Mylett said an officer who shoots someone should be “willing to explain why he did what he did, should be able to articulate what specific threats he faced … and should be held accountable.” But he said he was not assessing their actions until they gave their testimony and said the union president told him they were all “cooperating fully” with the investigation.
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Police said more than 60 wounds were found on Walker’s body, but further investigation is needed to determine exactly how many rounds officers fired and how many times Walker was hit. Officers rendered aid and one could be heard saying he still had a pulse but was pronounced dead, Maillett said.
A handgun, a loaded magazine and a visible wedding ring were found on the car seat. A shell casing matching the weapon was later found in the area where officers believe a shot came from the vehicle.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost promised a “full, fair and expert investigation” and warned that “the body-worn camera footage is only one glimpse of the whole picture.”
The employees involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice in such cases.
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Protesters marched through the city and gathered outside the Akron Judicial Center after the video was released. NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement that Walker’s death was not self-defense, but “was murder. From point of view.
Walker’s family is calling for accountability but also for peace, their attorneys said. One of the lawyers, Bobby DiCello, called the police shooting excessive and unreasonable and said police handcuffed Walker before he tried to administer first aid.
“How it came to this with a chase is beyond me,” DiCello said.
He said Walker’s family does not know why he ran from police. Walker was grieving the recent death of his fiancée, but his family had no indication of concern beyond that, and he was not a criminal, DiCello said.
“I hope we remember that when Jayland ran across that parking lot, he was unarmed,” DiCello said.
He said he did not know if the gold ring found near the gun in the car belonged to Walker.
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