Akron police released bodycam video Sunday showing the car and foot pursuit and deadly shooting by police officers of a ski mask wearing Jayland Walker, 25, last Monday night. A gunshot allegedly fired by Walker while fleeing police in his car is heard and seen on various videos. Police used a Taser before opening fire on Walker. Police also released a photo of a handgun on the driver’s seat of Walker’s car.
Police reportedly found a handgun in Walker’s car, but Walker himself was unarmed when he was shot. The night of the shooting, police claimed Walker fired a shot at them from his car as he fled being pulled over for a traffic violation and equipment violation. A preliminary autopsy found Walker had been shot 60 times. Eight officers pursued Walker and reportedly fired around 90 shots in just a few seconds.
Jayland Walker, family photo.
Screen image shows officers firing on Jayland Walker during police pursuit.
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Jack Posobiec posted a screen image of Walker exited the passenger side of his moving car while wearing a ski mask (on a summer night?), noting the video of the car pursuit shows Walker firing on police, Police in Akron released video and breakdown of the Jayland Walker shooting. – Shows Jayland firing at police from his car at police- He gets out of car in ski mask and runs, they try Tasers, he keeps running, turns back at them, then they open fire- BCI investigating”
Akron Beacon Journal reporter Emily Mills, “APD says during the chase on Route 8, “a sound consistent with a gunshot” (per narrated video) was heard. the narrated video showed shots from ODOT cameras that police say show a flash from the car at the same time, “what we believe to be a muzzle shot,” Mylett said.”
Video of Akron government briefing Sunday cued to start of pursuit. Segment shows sound of gunshot captured by bodycam video and surveillance cameras of flash of light from driver’s side window indicating gunfire by Walker:
Walker family attorney Bobby DiCello said at a news conference Thursday that Walker did not fire his gun at police and that walker had fled police in a previous incident in Ohio without being pursued, reported the Akron Beacon Journal (excerpt):
…DiCello also said Walker had recently fled from New Franklin police for a similar violation, but police did not pursue him.
…DiCello, who watched the video Thursday, described an officer calmly telling dispatchers about the chase as it began about 12:30 a.m. in North Hill when police attempted to stop Walker for an equipment violation.
As Walker flees and police pursue him, the officer announces a shot has been fired.
“His voice doesn’t get excited, and that’s echoed through the radio. You hear that and then they drive on for several minutes,” DiCello said.
…“The officer bails out of his car and you see Jayland run, as if he were a football player running for the end zone. He’s out there by himself running across the parking lot and within seconds a hail of gunfire. It sounds like a package, a whole package, a whole brick of fireworks going off.”
…“There is no stopping and turning around,” DiCello said. “There’s no making his hand into the shape of a gun. There’s no holding his cellphone. He has nothing in his hands.”
“His body is just riddled with bullets, his face is shot with bullets, the body where it hits the ground is shot … it’s an unbelievable scene.”
…The attorney said the back windshield of Walker’s car was not damaged, meaning he did not fire a shot directly backward.
“And I’ve got to emphasize there is no evidence that we’ve been shown, or that we’ve found, or that we know of that says that the young man somehow while driving away from the officers pointed his gun at the officers,” he said.
DiCello said though police contend that an Ohio Department of Transportation traffic video shows a flash of gunfire coming from Walker’s car, his team has not been able to find that evidence so far.
Akron canceled the city’s four-day Fourth of July Rib, White and Blue Festival and moved heavy duty trucks in front of the police station Friday in anticipation of riots.
Protests so far have been peaceful. The comings days will see if the release of the video changes that.
Protest march in Akron Sunday after release of the police video: