Grand jury rules Akron officers justified in shooting death of Jayland Walker. What we know
The eight Akron officers who shot and killed Jayland Walker in Akron last June won’t face criminal charges in his death.
A special grand jury of six women and three men, including two Black citizens, on Monday returned a no-bill in Summit County Common Pleas Court, which means the jurors found the actions of the officers were justified.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Walker fired out of his vehicle while he was being chased by officers. He said a shell casing was recovered from the entrance ramp to state Route 8 and the ballistics matched the gun recovered in Walker's car after the shooting. A Cuyahoga Falls officer also witnessed Walker firing a shot and it was recorded on his dash camera, Yost said.
Most of Jayland Walker's family didn't speak at a news conference following the grand jury dercision. They had a chorus to do so for them.
Although Walker's mother reacted with an occasional nod, the most significant words came when U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes said, “Jayland should be here today.”
Pam Walker replied with an audible, “Yes, he should.”
News of the indictment sparked protests in Akron, during which police said they arrested at least six.
Police also issued numerous citations for traffic and equipment violations during the protests, which lasted until after midnight. Two illegal handguns were found during two traffic stops, resulting in firearms charges, they said.
Police said a caravan of protesters that grew to about 60 vehicles at its peak began driving around the city, "sometimes blocking traffic and committing a wide range of traffic violations, including driving reverse of traffic."
Here's the latest on the grand jury decision, its aftermath and details we've found after the release of a state investigation.
What we're learning from BCI investigation into Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker
Did Jayland Walker intend to die the night police shot and killed him last year?
It’s one of the biggest questions the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) tried to answer during its 10-month investigation into his death.
The Akron Beacon Journal is still combing through thousands of pages of BCI reports, videos and photos to provide a deeper understanding of what happened. But a summary of the case revealed for the first time how state investigators and police from Akron and Euclid zeroed in on a theory early on: suicide by cop.
Akron police to launch internal probe into Jayland Walker case, won't name officers involved
The names of the eight officers now under internal investigation in the death of 25-year-old Jayland Walker will not be released due to threats, city officials said Tuesday.
Akron police will now conduct an internal investigation to determine if the officers violated any department regulations.
Akron police chief: 'Nothing is jumping out' yet as policy violation in Jayland Walker case
Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said Tuesday he did not immediately see a violation of department policies in the actions of the eight officers who shot 25-year-old Jayland Walker, but he did not rule out the possibility of such a result at the end of the just-launched internal investigation.
"Nothing is jumping out at me right now," Mylett said in an interview with the Beacon Journal. "But there could be, I don't know."
Mylett's interview came less than 24 hours after a Summit County grand jury declined to indict the eight officers for their actions that June night last year. At the time of his interview, Mylett had less than a day to review the state investigative report, noting its summary alone was book length.
Videos show what led to Jayland Walker's shooting from Akron officers' perspective
Akron officers following Jayland Walker onto state Route 8 told dispatchers that Walker fired a shot, resulting in a “Signal 21” that alerted all police in the city.
Officers chasing Walker on foot after he fled from his car deployed Tasers at Walker three times, with the stun-gun shots either not connecting or having no impact.
As Walker fled, he reached toward the pockets of his hoodie and waistband and raised his arm, leading officers to think he might be reaching for or drawing his gun.
These are among the highlights of videos created at the request of attorneys representing the Akron officers who killed Walker to show what happened leading up to the June 27 shooting from the perspective of the eight who shot him more than 40 times.
State investigation finds four Akron officers emptied clips in Jayland Walker shooting
A 68-page ballistics report released Monday along with logs of evidence and synchronized still frames from police and highway camera systems detail the exhaustive effort of state investigators to account for all 95 bullets fired in the pursuit and death of Jayland Walker.
Cleared of criminal charges by a special Summit County grand jury Monday, eight Akron officers with standard issue 9 mm semi-automatic Glock handguns fired 94 bullets at Walker as he ran, according to the Ohio Criminal of Bureau Investigation report. As a group, they missed Walker half the time. Bullet shrapnel peppered the parking lot where the 25-year-old Walker died from 46 gunshot wounds.
Four of the officers fired 70 of the 94 rounds, pulling their triggers nearly three times per second as they emptied their clips in less than 7 seconds.
Jayland Walker was 'great person' who was grieving his 'soul mate,' family told BCI
In the two weeks after his death, people who knew Jayland Walker best said he was a good person and getting involved in a police pursuit was not like him.
“The only thing he may have gotten probably is a speeding ticket,” Pamela Walker, Jayland's mother, told an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation special agent two days after Akron police officers fatally shot him following a car and foot chase. “It's not in his nature or the way he grew up to even be mean or, or any kind a way but respectful.”
Although his mother and sister, Jada Walker, told the BCI investigator he did not seem especially upset or depressed, much less suicidal, they did acknowledge that his fiancée, Jaymeisha Beasley, had been killed in a traffic crash in late May.
'Seen it too many times': Akron community reacts to decision in Jayland Walker shooting
Members of the community have begun reacting to the news that a special grand jury has decided eight police officers involved in the killing of Jayland Walker last summer will not be charged.
The incident has become the subject of protests, the creation of a new civilian-led police review board, plans for new cruiser dashcams and strained relations between Akron’s police and citizens.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Grand jury clears Akron police in shooting death of Jayland Walker
