These are Greater Akron's Top 20 stories of 2022 according to BeaconJournal.com readers
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The fatal shooting of Jayland Walker by Akron police in June dominated local headlines and was by far the biggest story of 2022 in Greater Akron.
Stories about the incident and the protests that followed accounted for nine of the Top 20 headlines for the year, according to page visits on BeaconJournal.com.
News about the death of Firestone high school student Ethan Liming, harsh winter weather and the comings and goings of the Cleveland Browns also ranked as some of the most popular stories among BeaconJournal.com readers.
These are Greater Akron’s Top 20 of stories of 2022 based on page views on BeaconJournal.com through Dec. 27:
1. Akron police release 'heartbreaking' videos of officers killing Jayland Walker
Coverage of thee city's press conference six days after eight Akron police fatally shot Jayland Walker following a chase was the most-viewed story of 2022 on BeaconJournal.com, with more than 423,450 page views.
Police released two videos during the press conference. The first was narrated and edited to show key moments, including an image of a flash coming from the door of Walker’s Buick. Police chief Steve Mylett said that’s when the police response changed.
“It went from being a routine traffic stop to now a public safely issue,” Mylett said after the video played.
2. What we know about the fatal Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker
In the days that followed Walker's death, there were more questions than answers about the incident. The city of Akron asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take over the investigation. And the city canceled its annual Rib, White and Blue Festival in the wake of protests downtown.
3. Akron police shot Jayland Walker at least 60 times: Attorney describes body-camera footage
The hail of bullets fired by police at Jayland Walker sounded like “a whole brick of fireworks going off” in what Walker family attorney Bobby DiCello described as an "unbelievable scene."
DiCello spoke to the Beacon Journal in advance of the city releasing what he called "brutal" police body-camera video, which shows the 25-year-old Black man running away from officers. The attorney said he was sharing details of the video before release by Akron police to help the community prepare for what it would show, stressing Walker’s family wanted peace to be maintained.
4. Akron protesters gather at justice center, eventually disperse around 9 p.m. curfew
The killing of Jayland Walker, who was shot dozens of times by Akron police on June 27, sparked days of mostly peaceful but sometimes violent protests throughout the city. The city implemented a curfew to keep order. At one point, at least 100 armed and unarmed people protested outside Mayor Dan Horrigan's home.
5. Jayland Walker had 46 entrance wounds and died from 'devastating injuries,' examiner says
During a July press conference to release autopsy results for Jayland Walker, Summit County Medical Examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler said there were more than 46 entrance wounds or graze injuries. Graze injuries happen when a bullet runs along the surface of the skin but does not enter a specific area of the body, she said.
6. First the Mannings shake their heads, then Baker Mayfield disappears from the conversation
Closing night for the Manning brothers in their new Monday night schtick last season on ESPN2 featured a much-criticized performance by Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in a 26-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After one of 10 consecutive incompletions, Peyton shook his head and looked annoyed while Eli said, "Baker was obviously a little off."
Later, Peyton got more annoyed, saying, "You CAN'T take that sack on third down."
"I'm not sure what Baker saw there, Peyton," Eli said.
It turns out Browns fans wouldn't see much more of Mayfield, who was traded in July.
7. National Weather Service warns storm could bring heavy snow, rain to Akron, Northeast Ohio
Snow-weary Northeast Ohio residents braced for more of the white stuff in late January after Mother Nature buried the region under more than a foot of snow two weeks earlier.
8. Ethan Liming, 17, killed near basketball court at I Promise School in Akron
Ethan Liming, a 17-year-old Firestone high school student, was found beaten to death in June near the basketball courts of Akron's I Promise School in a case that divided the community and drew national attention.
The three Akron men initially charged with murder in the incident were later indicted by a Summit County grand jury on lesser charges. One subsequently pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor assault charges related friends who were with Liming on the night of his death, and the two others await trial.
Police said Liming and three of his friends went to the school when members of their group apparently shot toy water gel guns at four people playing basketball on the courts at the school.
The basketball players ran away as two in Liming's group ran in their direction, police said. The young men playing basketball then turned around, ran back and confronted the teens at their car. A fight started, police said, with Liming ending up being pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 11 p.m.
9. As Cleveland Browns introduce Deshaun Watson, the QB defends himself against allegations
Deshaun Watson maintained his innocence in March as the Browns presented him to their fan base as the new face of the franchise.
Two dozen women have accused Watson of sexual misconduct or sexual assault during massage appointments. Two grand juries in Texas decided March 11 and Thursday that Watson wouldn't be criminally charged, but he still faced civil lawsuits — most of which he later settled — and a subsequent 11-game suspension from the NFL.
The Browns acquired the star quarterback on March 18 in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans.
Deshaun Watson news conference: Browns QB faces challenge building trust with fans, community
10. Unanswered questions await mayor, police chief in aftermath of Jayland Walker shooting
Many questions remained unanswered in the days immediately following the shooting death of Jayland Walker by Akron police. Some of those questions are still unanswered to this day as the Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues its probe.
11. North suspends football season, cancels final two games
The North football team did not play its final two games of the season due to a lack of healthy and eligible players.
Following the Vikings' 28-0 loss to Firestone, North Athletic Director Carrie Stewart said North was down to "less than 15 players" due to health and registration issues.
"It's simply not safe for us to play," Stewart said.
12. 'We don't treat animals that way. ' Jayland Walker's family demands police accountability
The grief-stricken family of Jayland Walker called for peace, understanding and justice in the officer-involved shooting.
An attorney said the family is demanding accountability for the multiple officers who shot Walker dozens of times following a 4½-minute car chase from Akron’s North Hill neighborhood to Firestone Park.
“We don’t treat animals that way,” Walker family attorney Paige White said at a press conference in July.
13. Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry says goodbye to Jarvis Landry for the second time
Beacon Journal columnist Marla Ridenour correctly predicted the Browns would part ways with Jarvis Landry because of salary cap issues. Two weeks after her column, the team released the wide receiver.
14. Farmers' Almanac predicts plenty of 'snow, rain and mush' for northern Ohio
The Farmers' Almanac predicted an "unreasonably" cold winter in northern Ohio with lots of snow, rain and mush. If the recent Christmas weekend storm is any indication, those predictions might be coming true.
15. Video footage shows fight at Buchtel-East game. Police investigating, no arrests made
The North Ridgeville Division II boys basketball district semifinal between second-seeded Buchtel and 12th-seeded East was suspended March 3 when a fight between the two squads erupted.
Fans poured onto the floor and it took a while before police restored order.
The Griffins were ahead 53-32 with 2.5 seconds left in the third quarter and both teams were escorted to their respective locker rooms after referees halted the action. The Northeast District Athletic Board decided that Buchtel would advance to the Division II district final.
16. Weather service warns northern Ohio to prepare now for Winter Storm Landen, foot of snow
Last winter was a rough one for Greater Akron, which got pummeled with 7 inches of snow from Winter Storm Landen in early February.
17. The Cleveland Browns aren't playing on Sunday or Monday. But they will play. What to know
You have to give Browns fans credit. Despite a losing record, they're an extremely dedicated bunch who don't want to miss a game — even on Christmas Eve.
Unfortunately, even Santa couldn't deliver a Browns victory. The team lost 17-10 to New Orleans Saints, officially eliminating any chance for a playoff berth..
18. 'Freak accident': Chelsey Jones, 26, dies from bullet apparently shot across Summit Lake
Michael Hartney thought his girlfriend, Chelsey Jones, got up off their sofa, tripped and fell on the floor late at night on the Fourth of July.
He walked to the living room and said he found her with a black eye, a lump on her head and surrounded by a pool of blood. She died three days later at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. She was 26.
Akron police theorized that Jones was shot by someone firing a gun across Summit Lake. A bullet pierced a front window facing the lake and struck Jones.
19. Protesters block downtown traffic, denounce Akron police-involved death of Jayland Walker
Protesters blocked the street in front of the Akron Police Department headquarters June 30 and shouted "murderer" any time an officer was seen during a demonstration in reaction to the police-involved shooting of Jayland Walker.
20. Jacob Blake's father, Breonna Taylor's aunt arrested at Jayland Walker protest in Akron
The fatal shooting of Jayland Walker on June 27 by Akron police continued to draw strong attention across the nation into July, with high-profile critics of police violence from out of state coming to the city and being among the protesters arrested.
The protests, including confrontations with law enforcement and arrests, were captured on video and shared on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Beacon Journal readers' top stories of 2022
