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On June 27, just one week before Independence Day, 25-year-old Jayland Walker was gunned down by police in Akron, Ohio.
According to Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett, the incident began as a vehicular pursuit when the officers involved tried to stop Walker for traffic and equipment violations. Less than a minute after the footage recording the attempted stop began, the officers reported hearing “a sound consistent with a gunshot” and “a flash of light” from the driver’s side of Walker’s car. When Walker exited the car and fled, officers followed. Walker turned abruptly to face the officers, who "felt that Mr. Walker had turned and was motioning and moving into a firing position." In the seven seconds following, officers shot at Walker an estimated 90 times, wounding him 46 times.
The 8 police officers who were present during the ordeal, 7 white officials and 1 Black official, have been placed on paid leave, and continue to cooperate with the investigation. On the Sunday following, thirteen body camera videos were released; one from the point of view of each officer who shot at Walker and five from other officers who were on the scene. The videos end right after the gunshots were fired and don’t show any efforts to provide medical care to Walker, though police say they did attempt first aid after the shooting. Walker was declared dead at the scene shortly after. A search of the vehicle Walker was driving revealed a gun, however he was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Many supporters of the Walker family took to the streets on the week of July 4 to display their disgust following the shooting. After the body camera footage was released on July 3, demonstrations began to get violent. Akron mayor Daniel Horrigan implemented curfews in an effort to curb the violence; he lifted the curfew in an executive order early on Sunday, noting no further safety concerns.
Walker’s loved ones, including Walker family spokesman Pastor Robert DeJournett, condemned violent outbursts among protesters but also acknowledged the pain that the Black community of Akron was confronted with. "But you know, that's a two-way street ... We are angry, we're hurting, and people should be able to demonstrate in a non-violent way and that goes for our police department too because ... they should be acting in a non-violent way as well," DeJournett said in a statement on Monday.
On Thursday, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a federal investigation into the situation. “We are urging you and your Department of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of Jayland Walker, and — if what we all saw with our own eyes is true — federally charge the officers responsible for his gruesome assassination," Derrick Johnson, the President of the NAACP, wrote in his statement to Garland.
The Justice Department declined to remark on the letter from Johnson but assured that they were “closely monitoring and reviewing the circumstances” associated with Walker's death in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Bobby DiCello, an attorney for the Walker family, informed the public that the United Nations Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality Law Enforcement will also be examining the circumstances surrounding Jayland Walker’s death following his funeral on July 13. Additionally, DiCello stated that the Akron police department needs to improve its policies surrounding arrests and surveillance, including installing dashboard cameras in police cruisers. He also called for a public apology from Akron police leaders.
The Akron Police Department has requested that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conduct the inquiry into the shooting. The Bureau’s discoveries will be given to the Summit County prosecutor's office to present evidence to a grand jury to decide if any of the 8 officers will be charged criminally.
Jayland Walker will be remembered as a son, a cousin, and a best friend.