Officials say a black man was unarmed when Akron police chased him and killed him in a barrage of bullets, but officers believe he had previously fired at them from a vehicle and was afraid That he is preparing to shoot again.
Officials say a black man was unarmed when Akron police chased him and killed him in a barrage of bullets, but officers believe he had previously fired at them from a vehicle and was afraid That he is preparing to shoot again.
Akron, Ohio
Officials said at a news conference on Sunday that a black man was unarmed when Akron police chased him and killed him in a barrage of gunfire, but officials believed he first fired at them from a vehicle. and feared that he was preparing to shoot again.
Akron police released video of the shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker, who was killed on June 27 in a chase that was triggered by an attempt at a traffic stop. The mayor described the shooting as “heartbreaking”, calling for peace and patience from the community.
It is not clear how many shots were fired by the eight officers involved in the shootout, but Walker sustained more than 60 wounds. A lawyer for Walker’s family said officers continued to fire even after they were on the ground.
Officers attempted to stop Walker’s car early in the morning for unspecified traffic and equipment violations, but less than a minute into the chase, a shot was heard from the car, and a Department of Transportation camera. Captured muzzle flash. Coming by vehicle, Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said. It changed the nature of the case from “a regular traffic stop to now a public safety issue”, he said.
Police body camera videos of the night’s confrontation show the minutes after. Several shouting officers approach the car on foot with guns slowing down, as it rolls across a curb and onto a sidewalk. A man wearing a ski mask walks out the passenger door and runs to the parking lot. In bursts of shots lasting 6 or 7 seconds, the police chase the officers for about 10 seconds before shooting them from multiple directions.
Police said at least one officer first tried to use a stun gun, but was unsuccessful.
Mr Mylett said it is hard to distinguish Walker’s actions on video in real time, but one still picture shows him “going down in his groin area” and another shows him turning to an officer. He added that a third photograph “captures the forward motion of his hand.”
Officers were later isolated at the scene, and each one indicated a belief that Walker was going into the firing position, Mr Mylett said.
Footage released by the police ends with officers gunning down and does not show what happened in the moments that followed.
Mr Mylett said the officer firing at someone “should be willing to explain why they did what they did, be able to explain what specific threats they were facing …more They need to be taken into account.” But he said he is withholding judgment on his actions until he gives his statement, and added that the union president has told him that everyone is “fully cooperating” with the investigation.
Police said more than 60 wounds were found on Walker’s body, but further investigation is needed to determine how many rounds the officers fired and how many times they struck Walker. Officers provided assistance, and someone could be heard saying he still had a pulse, but was pronounced dead, Mr Mylett said.
A handcuff, a loaded magazine and a wedding ring were found in the car seat. A cover corresponding to the weapon was later found in the area where officials believed a shot had come from the vehicle.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost vowed a “complete, impartial and expert investigation” and cautioned that “camera footage worn on the body is just one view of the whole picture.”
The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice in such cases.
After the video was released, protesters marched across the city and gathered in front of the Akron Justice Center. NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement that Walker’s death was not self-defense, but “murder. Point blank.”
His lawyers said Walker’s family is demanding accountability as well as peace. One of the lawyers, Bobby DiCello, described the police firing as excessive and inappropriate, and said that the police handcuffed Walker before trying to provide first aid.
“How this was found with a search is beyond me,” said Mr. DiCello.
He said Walker’s family did not know why he ran from the police. Walker was mourning the recent death of his fiancé, but his family had no sign of further concern, and he was not the culprit, Mr DiCello said.
“I hope we remember that as Jayland ran across that parking lot, he was unarmed,” Mr. DiCello said.
He said he did not know whether the gold ring found near the gun in the car belonged to Walker.