Protesters again gathered Saturday in Akron, Ohio, a day before the release of video footage showing the fatal police shooting of a Black motorist — a shooting that has rocked the city and outraged racial justice advocates.
On Saturday afternoon, a crowd of demonstrators with signs and megaphones assembled outside the city courthouse after 3 p.m. Some chanted, “No justice, no peace, prosecute the police.”
Demonstrators have now been gathering for four straight days this week, demanding police accountability after officers shot and killed Jayland Walker, 25, on Monday as he fled a minor traffic stop.
The Akron Police Department is expected to provide details of the shooting, including body camera footage, at the Sunday news conference alongside the city’s mayor. The footage will also be released at that time.
Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett told the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the department will release all body camera footage of the shooting rather than just the three videos required by law. He added that the footage will be shown to Walker’s family before it’s released to the public.
The shooting is the third fatal shooting by a police officer in six months in the city of about 200,000 residents that is located about 30 miles from Cleveland.
The city of Akron has asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take over the investigation of the shooting.
‘PEOPLE DESERVE SAFETY, NOT FEAR’:Protests continue after Jayland Walker’s death by police
Attorney describes shooting footage
Bobby DiCello, an attorney representing Walker’s family, shared details of the video before its release, saying he hopes it will help the community prepare for what it will show.
DiCello told the Beacon Journal he’s worried about how people may react to the footage that he said shows police firing dozens of shots, shooting Walker in the face, abdomen, arms and legs as he tried to run away.
DiCello said the shooting was an “unbelievable scene” that left Walker’s body “just riddled with bullets.”
“This is going to be a brutal video. It’s going to stir up some passion. It’s going to make people uneasy,” DiCello said.
VIDEO FOOTAGE:Attorney describes body camera footage
What police say happened
The Akron Police Department said Walker refused to stop the vehicle and fled as officers attempted to pull him over early Monday morning. Walker then jumped out of his rolling vehicle and created a “deadly threat,” leading officers to use stun guns and then firearms, police said.
Police say Walker fired a shot at officers during the police chase.
Mylett did not provide additional details on how many officers fired shots or how many shots were fired.
PREVIOUS REPORTS:What we know about the fatal Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker
Traffic camera footage obtained by the Beacon Journal shows 10 cruisers following Walker at one point during the chase.
Walker died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office, which ruled the death a homicide.
Walker was found lying on his back while in handcuffs when a medical examiner arrived at the scene, according to an investigative worksheet for the case shown to the Beacon Journal at the medical examiner’s office. Walked had been shot in the face, abdomen and upper legs, the report said, adding that a weapon was recovered from his vehicle.
Who was Jayland Walker?
Walker’s family described Walker as a loving person who dreamed of starting his own delivery business. He worked at an Amazon fulfillment center and as a delivery driver for DoorDash, family said at a Thursday news conference where they demanded police accountability for Walker’s death.
Walker was a standout wrestler at Buchtel High School, family members said.
FAMILY SPEAKS OUT:Jayland Walker’s family demands police accountability
Black elected officials speak out
The Black Elected Officials of Summit County called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Walker’s death. The organization’s president, Veronica Sims, also called for police reform and implicit bias training.
“We are extremely exhausted by the continued playing out of Black men and women being gunned down at the hands of those sworn to protect and serve,” Sims, who also serves as the District 5 representative on Summit County Council, said in a statement.
Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
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