Local and National Outrage Over The Fatal Police Shooting of Jayland Walker
Jayland Walker, an unarmed black man, was fatally shot by Akron police officers who fired an estimated 90 gunshots, with a loaded 9mm pistol found in Walker’s car.
The fatal shooting of unarmed black man Jayland Walker by Akron police officers has sparked outrage and mass protests. The Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has called for a thorough and transparent investigation of the Akron Police Department for alleged discriminatory practices against Akron’s black community. The police bodycam footage shows officers chasing and firing the fatal shots after a six-minute pursuit. The Walker family is calling for accountability and peace, while the local police union released a statement saying the officers involved thought there was an immediate threat of serious harm and that their actions and the number shots fired will be found justifiable in accordance with their training and protocols.
by James C.
Yet another summer of protests, outrage and violence is upon us as Jayland Walker, an unarmed black man was chased down by Akron police officers. Walker, 25, was fatally shot over 60 times according to medical reports and examinations.
Akron police released bodycam footage of the shooting of 25 year old Jayland Walker, which shows Akron police attempting to stop Walker for an unspecified traffic violation. After a six minute pursuit officers claim they were fired upon first. The video then shows eight officers chasing an unarmed Jayland Walker and firing an estimated 90 gunshots, fatally hitting Walker 60 times. A loaded 9mm pistol was later found in Walker’s car; it is clear that he was unarmed when he was killed.
In a statement, Akron’s mayor, Dan Horrigan, said: “We had several peaceful protests in the downtown footprint related to the officer-involved shooting of Jayland Walker. These protests did not escalate to violence and destruction … However, as night fell and others began to join, the protests no longer became peaceful. There was significant property damage done to downtown Akron. Small businesses up and down Main Street have had their windows broken. We cannot and will not tolerate the destruction of property or violence.”
Outrage over the death of Jayland Walker caused mass protests to break out over the long weekend that resulted in riot police and tear gas being deployed on protestors in Downtown Akron and over 50 people being arrested. The Walker family attorney said in response to the bodycam footage “Officers kept firing even after he was on the ground.” Local activist representing Freedom BLOC (Black Led Organizing Collaborative) and the local chapter of the NAACP have called for federal intervention in regard to investigating the Akron Police Department for years for alleged discriminatory practices against Akron’s black community.
The Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown said: “The Walker family and the entire Akron community deserve a thorough and transparent investigation of why we are mourning yet another young, Black life cut short. This is every Black parent’s worst fear of what a traffic stop will turn into.”
The police bodycam footage shows in the words of family Attorney Bobby Dicello an “Execution of an unarmed young man”. The footage shows after a vehicle pursuit with police, a mere 17 seconds after Jayland exits his car is all it took for police to chase and fire the fatal shots. The local police union released a statement on Sunday saying the Officers involved thought there was an immediate threat of serious harm and that their actions and the number shots fired will be found justifiable in accordance with their training and protocols.
NAACP president Derrick Johnson made a statement saying “Walker’s death wasn’t in self-defense, but was murder. Point blank!” The Walker family is calling for accountability and peace while Dicello called the number of gunshots fired by officers “excessive” and “unreasonable”. As the Walker family continues to mourn, outrage continues to grow as more evidence is brought to light.
Editors note: This story was written with research, information and/or contributions from The Associated Press, Democracy Now, NNPA and PBS
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