Jayland Walker Shot at Least 60 Times in Bodycam Footage Released by Akron Police – The night of Jayland Walker’s death, more than 60 shots were fired, Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett informed reporters.
At a press conference with Mayor Dan Horrigan, Mylett also unveiled disturbing body camera footage from the shooting on June 27 showing a squad of policemen pursuing Walker, 25, before opening fire on him. Walker died at the scene.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is looking into the death, and all eight of the shooting’s officers are currently on administrative leave. At the news conference on Sunday, Mayor Horrigan said, “I won’t mince words, the video you are about to watch is heartbreaking.”
In an effort to calm the heated situation in Akron, which has seen numerous protests since Walker’s passing was reported, Chief Mylett also spoke to Walker’s family directly.
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Mylett stated on Sunday, “you’ve asked for peace in an environment that is ripe for aggressiveness and violence.” “You’ve raised a good son, if Jayland is a reflection of this family’s character. Please accept my sincere condolences and sympathies.”
An APD press release states that the fatal incident happened at around 12:30 a.m. on Monday, June 27 after officers attempted to pull over a car driven by Walker for an unidentified traffic violation.
Officers reported that a firearm had been discharged from the suspect’s vehicle during the ensuing chase, the release added. The APD added that after a period of time, Walker slowed down and got out of the moving vehicle, running into a nearby parking lot on foot.
The officers claimed that Walker’s actions led them to believe that he “posed a deadly threat to them” before they fired their weapons. According to the press announcement, Walker “was pronounced dead on the spot.”
Chief Mylett told reporters on Sunday that the involved officers would now have to thoroughly account for every second of their conduct on the disputed night.
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No matter where in the country this occurs, “an officer has to be ready to justify why they did what they did when they make the most important decision of their life as a police officer to point their firearm at another human being and pull the trigger,” Mylett stated.
