Another City Angry Over a Police Shooting

Akron officers shot Jayland Walker dozens of times in a parking lot
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 3, 2022 6:32 AM CDT
Another City Angry Over a Police Shooting
Lynnette Williams holds a sign during a gathering at Second Baptist Church on Saturday, July 2, 2022, in Akron, Ohio, calling for justice for Jayland Walker after he was fatally shot by Akron police on Monday.   (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal via AP)

The fatal police shooting of a Black man is causing friction in another American city, and the tension threatens to get worse with the pending release of police video. This week's shooting took place in Akron, Ohio. Details:

  • Shooting: Akron officers shot 25-year-old Jayland Walker to death in a parking lot about 12:30am Monday after he exited his car following a police chase, reports Cleveland.com. Police say they tried to pull Walker over for an unspecified traffic violation and pursued him for several minutes when he failed to stop.
  • A threat? Walker drove to a parking lot and exited his car. "Actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them," said a Tuesday police statement. "In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect." However, an attorney for Walker's family, who has seen police video of the shooting, disputes that he posed a threat, reports Fox8.

  • 60 times: Attorney Bobby DiCello says the video shows that Walker was running away and unarmed when multiple officers opened fire, per the New York Times. DiCello says the autopsy reveals Walker was hit 60 times, and he says eight officers were involved. The video has not been made public, but police plan to release it Sunday afternoon and are bracing for protests. “I’ve been a trial lawyer for 22 years and I’ve never seen anything remotely close to what that video is going to show,” DiCello says.
  • Weapon: Walker had a gun in his car, says his attorney, but he did not carry it with him out of his car. Police have said Walker fired at them during the chase, but DiCello says no evidence supports the claim. “The rear windshield is intact, the front windshield is intact, and all side windows are intact,” he says. “There’s no call, there’s no report that we’ve seen and there’s been no mention by the chief in personal discussions with him that a gun was seen outside the car, waving at or being pointed at anyone.” Police plan to address all this at news conference 1pm Sunday, when the video is expected to be released.
  • Fallout: An unspecified number of officers have been placed on administrative leave, reports the Times. Meanwhile, Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown has asked the Justice Department to investigate. “The tragedy of Mr. Walker’s death calls to mind many incidents over the years when African Americans have been the victims of excessive force resulting in death,” Brown wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
(More police shooting stories.)

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