Hundreds March in Akron Enraged by Police Killing of Jayland Walker

Hundreds of people in Akron, Ohio gathered outside the police department’s headquarters and marched through the city late Sunday, demanding justice for Jayland Walker after police footage was released showing that the 25-year-old Black man had been fatally shot from behind at least 60 times by officers as he tried to flee from a traffic stop on June 27.

Demonstrators chanted Walker’s name and “No justice, no peace!” outside the police department and the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, where they were confronted by officers in riot gear as the protest continued into the evening.

According to local news outlet WKYC, police officers deployed a dozen canisters of tear gas on the protesters after some knocked down barriers that were outside the police headquarters.

Olayemi Olurin, a public defender for Legal Aid in New York, called the “militarized” police response to the protests “insane, terrifying, and outrageous.”

Walker’s killing sparked protests and demands for the release of bodycam footage last week, as the community learned that he’d been killed after officers chased Walker during an “investigation of an unspecified traffic violation,” as the Washington Post reported.

Police claim Walker had fired a gun from his car, but his family disputes the claim and Walker was reportedly unarmed when he left his vehicle and was chased on foot by the officers.

Eight officers were involved in the chase which ended with the police firing about 90 rounds and shooting Walker roughly 60 times, according to an autopsy report.

Activist Fela Sutton noted that recruiters for the Akron police department had recently attended a Juneteenth event with Black community members, giving hope to residents about amicable relations between law enforcement and the Akron community.

Originally published at Commondreams.org, written by Julia Conley.