A black man shot to death by Akron police officers in a hail of bullets after a vehicle and foot chase was unarmed at the time of the shooting, but one shot appeared to have come from the vehicle during the pursuit, and officers said they feared he was preparing to fire when they unloaded their weapons, authorities said.
Police on Sunday released a video the mayor called “heartbreaking” of the chase and shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker as he asked the community for peace and patience as the state investigation into the shooting continues.
Chief Steve Mylett said officers attempted to pull over Walker’s car early Monday for unspecified traffic and equipment violations, but less than a minute into the chase, the sound of a gunshot was heard from the car and a camera from the department of transportation captured what appeared to be a flash. coming from the vehicle. Mylett said that changed the nature of the case from “a routine traffic stop to now a public safety issue.”
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Police said a few minutes later, the car slowed and Walker got out of the still-moving vehicle wearing a balaclava and fled on foot. A handgun, loaded magazine and wedding ring were found on the seat and a shell casing matching the gun was later found at the point where officers believed he had shot himself from the vehicle.
After a failed attempt to use stun devices, the foot chase continued into a parking lot, at which point a crescendo of gunfire can be heard. Mylett said he watched the video dozens of times and Walker’s actions at the time are hard to make out, but one still photo appears to show him “going down to the waist area” and another appears to show him turning toward an officer and a third. the image “captures a forward movement of his arm”.
After the shooting, the shooting officers stood apart from one another and watched them, and were individually guided through the scene by arriving investigators, Myett said.
“Each officer, independently of the other, recounted that they felt Mr. Walker had turned around and was gesturing and moving into a firing position,” he said.
Mylett said an officer who shoots someone must be “ready to explain why he did what he did, must be able to articulate what specific threats he was facing … and must be held accountable.” But he said he won’t judge his actions until his statement is made, and said the union president has told him everyone is “fully cooperating” with the investigation.
Police said more than 60 wounds were found on the body, but further investigation will be needed to determine exactly how many rounds the eight officers fired and how many times Walker was hit. Officers rendered assistance, and one can be heard saying he still had a pulse, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Mylett said.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost promised a “full, fair and expert investigation” and warned that “body camera footage is just one view of the whole picture, before any conclusions are drawn, a full review should be conducted.” .
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The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice in such cases.
Walker’s family asks for accountability but also for peace, his attorneys said after the city released video of the shooting. One of the attorneys, Bobby DiCello, said the police shots occurred even after Walker was on the ground, and that police handcuffed him before attempting to give him first aid.
“How it came to this with a manhunt is beyond me,” DiCello said, adding that Walker’s family doesn’t know why he fled from police. Walker was grieving the recent death of his fiancée, but his family had no indication of concern beyond that, DiCello said.
“I was sad, but I was getting over it,” DiCello said. He said he doesn’t know if the ring found near the gun belonged to Walker.