Akron community protests after 8 officers involved in Jayland Walker shooting return to work

Protesters took to Highland Square on Wednesday evening, one day after the Akron Police Department announced that the eight Akron police officers who are under investigation for their involvement in the June shooting death of Jayland Walker have returned to work in the office.

The protest in Highland Square around 6:20 p.m. entered West Market Street and blocked all traffic for several minutes. The protesters then moved into the lot next to the Highland Square branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library, chanting obscenities about police.

The officers, who have been on paid administrative leave since Walker's death June 27, are being reassigned to administrative duty due to staffing issues within the department after several officers have left, said Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett.

The officers, whose names haven't been released due to what the department said are safety concerns, won't be in the community on patrol, but will provide "internal support" until the investigation is complete, according to the police department. They aren't in uniform and aren't responding to calls.

Walker, 25, was fatally shot more than 40 times by Akron police after an attempted traffic stop for minor equipment violations. After a car and foot chase, Walker was shot by police, according to body-camera footage released by the city.

He was unarmed during the shooting, but officials said he fired a shot from his vehicle less than a minute into the chase. A handgun was found in his vehicle.

Jayland Walker officers return to work:8 Akron officers involved in shooting death of Jayland Walker return to desk duty

Walker’s death has led to multiple protests over the last nearly four months in downtown Akron as demonstrators demand justice and accountability for the eight officers involved in his death.

Community response to officers returning to work

The NAACP has asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a federal civil rights investigation into Walker's death.

The announcement about the eight officers returning to work came one day after a rally was held for Walker, during which his mother, Pam Walker, told people "please don't give up on us."

“I am disappointed, but I'm not surprised,” Akron NAACP President Judi Hill said Tuesday of the officers returning to work. “I just think the timing of this is very interesting, after we just had a unity march.”

Hill said she questioned whether returning the eight to office duty will help maintain police services.

“There are some people who feel like they're getting paid to sit at home and it’s a vacation," Hill said. "My take has always been I would prefer them not be in that building."

Jayland Walker rally:Organizers gather in Akron to continue push for police reform, justice for Jayland Walker

The Freedom BLOC in Akron released a statement on social media Tuesday condemning the decision to allow the officers to return to work. The officers should not be working in the Akron Police Department, the group said.

"This is unacceptable, and our community is outraged," the statement read in part. "That is the exact opposite of what the Walker Family and our community have been demanding for the past 106 days. ... This is not justice for Jayland Walker. ... Police do not keep us safe. We keep us safe. This is exactly why we need a civilian review board, which is just the first step in moving toward a world where there is real accountability and justice and where every one of us can life full and healthy lives, no exceptions."

Jayland Walker's family, attorney react to officers returning to work

Walker family attorney Bobby DiCello retweeted the Freedom BLOC statement to his Twitter followers.

Beacon Journal news partner News 5 Cleveland said Ken Abbarno and DiCello, the Walker family attorneys, released the following statement in which they said the officers should be placed back on leave:

"The planning behind the decision to reinstate the police officers involved in this summer’s tragic killing of Jayland Walker is callous and ignores the Walker family’s needs for a fair process.

"The decision to reinstate these officers — even to desk duty — fails to take into account a pending investigation into their actions that culminated in Jayland’s brutal shooting and unjustifiable death resulting from a barrage of more than 90 bullets. This decision undermines the legitimacy of the investigative process the Walker family has been asked to follow and which BCI has led to this point. On behalf of the Walker family, we call on the City of Akron to do the right thing and place the officers back on leave until the investigation has been completed."

Police department's reasoning for bringing officers back

The police department said it "consulted" with "various community leaders and other stakeholders" in recent weeks before bringing the eight officers back to work. Mylett said two advisory councils — one made up of community leaders and another consisting of pastors and others in the religious community — agreed independently from one another that the decision to return the eight officers to work "was the right decision for this moment."

"The consensus of these conversations was an agreement that this step would provide needed relief and support to ensure there are no interruptions in the services we provide to the community," the police department said.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are continuing to conduct an investigation. The case then will be submitted to the Summit County grand jury. The police department's Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will also conduct a separate internal investigation, with the results given to Mylett and the Akron police auditor for their review.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron protests after officers involved in Jayland Walker death return to work