Mayor Dan Horrigan has issued a state of emergency decree in the city of Akron, Ohio following the shooting death of Jayland Walker.
“Early yesterday, we had several peaceful protests in the downtown footprint related to the officer-involved shooting of Jayland Walker. These protests did not escalate to violence and destruction,” Horrigan stated.
“However, as night fell and others began to join, the protests became no longer peaceful. There was significant property damage done to downtown Akron. Small businesses up and down Main St. have had their windows broken. We cannot and will not tolerate violence or the destruction of property.”
Walker is an Ohio resident who local police say was stopped in the city of Akron on June 27, 2022 for an alleged equipment violation and a traffic violation. Reporting from the Akron Beacon Journal indicates that the equipment violation could be “anything from a burnt out light on the license plate to a cracked tail light” while a traffic violation could be “anything from failure to signal a turn or speeding.”
“I’m not sure what the equipment violation was or what the traffic violation was,” Akron Police Department Chief Stephen Mylett said.
As the police attempted to stop Walker, he is accused of attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle. From there, Walker allegedly led police on a chase through the highway onto local streets before exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Unarmed at the time of the foot chase, Walker appears to have been heading towards a nearby parking lot when officers opened fire. Multiple reports suggest that Walker may have been hit as many as 60 times as officers are accused of firing nearly 100 rounds.
Following the shooting, an “unknown number of police officers” were placed on paid administrative leave. One week after Walker’s death, authorities also released bodycam footage of the incident. As observers learn more about the circumstances that led to his death, more questions continue to be raised.
“Mass shooters targeting the African-American community are apprehended without incident, but a traffic stop of a Black man ends in 90 shots. Justice for Jayland Walker. Something has to give. We’re tired of hashtags,” Nina Turner tweeted.
“I pray for my city today,” LeBron James added.
Despite the concerns raised in the aftermath of Walker’s death, authorities remain steadfast in the defense of the action that was taken. Police have also claimed that a firearm was discharged from Walker’s vehicle during the chase.
“Actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them,” local authorities said, according to TODAY.
“In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.”
As the situation unfolds, Akron’s state of emergency order is set to run from July 4, 2022 through July 5, 2022 at 6 a.m. local time. However, it is unclear if the order will be extended.
