Published 4th Jul, 2022

By Joseph Adeiye

The Akron Police Department has released a body camera footage which shows eight of its police officers shooting 25-year-old Jayland Walker several times on Sunday.

Walker, a DoorDash driver, tried to avoid a traffic stop when the officers shot at him dozens of times. The video footage was revealed at a press conference attended by the Walker family and Dan Horrigan, Mayor of Akron.

“There is no doubt that the video we just watched is extremely disturbing. It is shocking and hard to take in. What we are calling for is peace,” Horrigan said in a minute-long speech after the graphic video.

The video footage showed that the officers attempted using a taser on Walker but failed. A few seconds later, the officers unleashed a volley of bullets on Walker.

According to Cincinnati.com, Steve Mylett, Akron Police chief, acknowledged the number of shots could be more than 90 with Walker suffering at least 60 bullet wounds.

Mylett admitted that Walker was unarmed when Akron police officers killed him. Jaymeisha Beasley, the victim’s fiancee, died in an accident last month.

Bobby DiCello holding a photograph of Jayland Walker

Bobby DiCello, lawyer of the Walker family, said that he was concerned the police claimed Walker shot at the officers.

“They want to turn him into a masked monster with a gun,” DiCello said. “I ask you, as he’s running away, what is reasonable? To gun him down? No, that’s not reasonable.”

Akron police department has placed the officers involved on paid administrative leave, and Mylett has invited the Ohio State Bureau of Investigation to conduct an independent investigation on Walker’s death.

Protests have begun in Akron as city authorities urge for peace.

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