Officers with the Akron Police Department attempted to pull over a man, later identified as Walker, for a traffic violation around 12:30 a.m. Monday, but the driver refused to pull over, according to a statement posted on Facebook by the agency.
A pursuit ensued, and police said during the pursuit, shots were fired at officers from the vehicle.
After chasing the vehicle “for several minutes,” the department said the person slowed down and fled the vehicle while it was still moving, leading officers on a “pursuit” that ended in a parking lot.
“The suspect’s actions led officers to believe he posed a deadly threat to them. In response to this threat, the officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect,” the police statement said.
Walker died of multiple gunshot wounds to the face, abdomen and upper legs, CNN affiliate WEWS reported, citing findings from their media partner, the Akron Beacon Journal.
A newspaper that was allowed to review an investigation worksheet at the medical examiner’s office said it “shows Walker was observed lying on his back and was handcuffed when the medical examiner arrived at the scene of the shooting “.
City officials plan to release body camera footage of the case Sunday, according to a statement from Mayor Dan Horrigan’s office.
The footage will be displayed and reviewed Sunday afternoon and will be made available to the public after a press conference, city spokeswoman Stephanie Marsh said in an email to CNN.
The city’s police chief also plans to meet with members of Walker’s family before the press conference to “give them an opportunity to review the footage with the media and the public,” the city said.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office did not release the autopsy transcript to CNN, but confirmed that Walker’s death “has been ruled a homicide and is considered a “confidential law enforcement investigation report.”
Horrigan and Police Chief Steve Maillett released a joint statement Wednesday about the incident, saying, “We know that no police officer wants to use their service weapon in the line of duty. And whenever it should, it’s a dark day for our city, for the families of those involved, and for the employees as well.”
“Tragically, we are once again faced with a young man whose life was taken far too soon,” the joint statement continued. “Every single life is precious and the loss of any life is absolutely devastating to our entire community. Our prayers are with Jayland Walker’s family and we offer our sincere condolences to all who knew him. Our thoughts are also with our Akron police officers and their families.”
Horrigan and Mylett also said in their statement that police body camera footage, along with more information about what happened, would be released “in the coming days.”
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the Akron Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, according to the police statement.
CNN’s Keith Allen contributed to this report.
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