The family of an unarmed Black man in a deadly police shooting in Akron disputed some claims made by authorities, and police video footage can reveal the tragedy to the public. The video footage of the fatal police shooting of a Black man in Akron can show what happened. The city canceled the 4th of July fireworks show after the shooting of Jayland Walker while the city officials and stunned residents waited for the state probe.
An Akron Police Department spokesperson released body-cam footage showing officers shooting at a man lying on the ground. Police officers allegedly exchanged gunfire with 25-year-old Walker and shot him six more times just seconds before he fell.
A police officer on the camera shouted cease-fire. The officer apparently tried to stop the gunfire, but it persisted. According to a police spokesman, Walker lifted his arm toward the officers before firing, making it complicated to see his movements on the videotape. Walker ran through a grassy area, crossed his arm full circle, and then ran away.
Walker’s family joined government officials in encouraging a peaceful demonstration after last week’s shooting. They criticized the police for turning him into a masked person by staging street demonstrations. Police Chief Mylett, collected some of the videotape released last Sunday to defend his assertion that police employed deadly force against Walker. By police reports, the man drove away from a routine traffic stop just minutes before being shot.
The footage released by Akron police last Thursday showed that Walker was shot 60 times. When he saw the footage, Police Chief Mylett said he did not see any indication that initiated officers’ fear. The medical examiner has not determined the number of shots fired but found 60 wounds on Walker’s body. This incident requires more investigation to know exactly how many rounds were fired.
Officers allegedly assisted and heard one of them saying that Walker still had a pulse but was later pronounced dead at the scene.
According to DiCello, the law requires that police can use reasonable force. During the shooting investigation, he saw 95 shells on the ground. DiCello emphasized that he must constantly review this video to understand the amount of force used by the officer.
Mylett supplied information regarding the involvement of the eight officers, but their names were not released. The seven officers have been on administrative leave since the shooting. The police officers involved are six white, one is Black, and the other is a woman.
According to the Akron police news conference, Walker’s handgun inside his car was unloaded, or he did not insert the magazine. During the police car chase, he apparently went through residential communities at 50 miles per hour, and an officer saw it slowing down. A few seconds later, wearing a ski mask, he escaped. Brief footage showed several officers following Walker into a nearby parking lot. The police claimed that Tasers were initially used but were unsuccessful. Then just seconds later, Walker was shot.
Last week, hundreds of protesters marched in downtown Akron to condemn police brutality and press justice for Walker.
Written by Janet Grace Ortigas
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
USA Today: Jayland Walker’s family: He was not a ‘masked monster with a gun’ in Akron police shooting; by John BaconDoug Livingston
USA Today: Seven seconds of shooting: What 14 police bodycam videos show in Jayland Walker’s death; by Emily Mills & Jennifer Pignolet
The New York Times: Videos of Jayland Walker Shooting by Police Raise More Questions; Daniel McGraw and Luke Vander Ploeg
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Raymond Wambsgans’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of *GD*‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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