What do you need to know about the Jayland Walker police shooting? Here are the essentials
A special grand jury has decided that Akron police officers should not face charges in the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker.
Eight Akron officers fatally shot Jayland Walker 46 times on June 27 after he led officers on a crosstown car chase, during which police say the 25-year-old Black man fired a single shot from his vehicle. Walker was unarmed and running in a ski mask when he was shot after a short foot chase near Wilbeth and South Main. A handgun was found in his vehicle.
From the editor: Why local journalists matter for covering the Jayland Walker case from beginning to end
Akron’s police union defended the officers’ action as consistent with their training, while Walker’s family decried his death as senseless and said he was not a criminal.
Here are the essential stories to read about the case.
Grand jury decision: No criminal charges for 8 Akron officers who shot Jayland Walker
The eight Akron officers who shot and killed Jayland Walker 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.
'Our hearts are hurting': Jayland Walker's family reacts to grand jury decision
Most of Jayland Walker's family didn't speak at a press conference that dealt with their continued trauma. They had a chorus to do so for them.
And that group stated loudly what Walker's mother, Pamela, and sister, Jada, could not or would not.
“Our hearts are hurting. Yeah, our hearts are heavy. We talked about peace. Pamela and Jada are not feeling peaceful right now,” said the Rev. Robert DeJournett, a relative and the pastor of St. Ashworth. “We're not advocating violence at all, but we don't feel peaceful. They're broken into pieces. We talk about being calm. How can we be calm when the injustice we believe has happened? And this is a sad, sad day for our family and our community.”
What we still don't know in the Akron police killing of Jayland Walker
Beginning April 10, state prosecutors are expected to walk a grand jury through all the evidence in the June 27 police killing of Jayland Walker.
In a ski mask after allegedly firing a single shot during a cross-town car chase, the 25-year-old DoorDash driver ditched his silver Buick on Wilbeth Road and ran, unarmed, into a parking lot. He spun around and was struck 46 times by eight uniformed Akron officers.
The state will post online all documents regarding the criminal investigation into the deadly use of force after the grand jury makes its decision. Until then, some big questions remain unanswered.
What the state investigation of fatal Akron police shooting may reveal
The Akron community may finally get a deeper understanding of what happened the night police killed Jayland Walker nine months ago.
A state prosecutor this month will present the case to a grand jury made up of Summit County residents who will decide whether to indict any of the eight Akron police officers who shot Walker 46 times.
Police involved in fatal shootings rarely face criminal charges in the U.S. And if the grand jury declines to charge any Akron police officers – determining reasonable officers would have taken the same action facing the same situation – Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he will immediately release a massive trove of information state investigators have gathered since the wee morning hours of June 27 when Walker died.
What to know about the special grand jury
A special grand jury has convened for the first time in Summit County history.
The grand jury's task will be to decide if the eight Akron officers who shot and killed Jayland Walker last June may have broken any laws.
If at least seven of the nine jurors say "yes," the officers will be indicted.
The grand jury’s decision will be watched nationwide.
Why police nationwide rarely face charges when they kill in the line of duty
With bated breath and fresh plywood over windows, the community is now bracing for a special grand jury to decide this month whether the use of deadly force merits criminal charges.
Jurors will be instructed to answer a core question: Would a reasonable officer, in that moment and not in hindsight, have taken the same action?
But the circumstances of Walker’s death and the possibility that the use of force will be deemed justified fit an American pattern in law enforcement that some experts find troubling.
This interactive map depicts Akron police's pursuit of Jayland Walker
The Beacon Journal used multiple videos from the Akron Police Department and the Ohio Department of Transportation as well as audio from police radio traffic to determine the route and key points in the chase and fatal shooting of Jayland Walker. This interactive map created from these sources illustrates that long-debated pursuit.
Who was Jayland Walker? Family, friends knew man killed by Akron police as funny, loving
For many in the Akron community, Jayland Walker is known as the man who was fatally shot dozens of times last summer by eight police officers.
His death prompted widespread protests and led to increased demands for police reform, culminating with the passage by Akron voters in November of a charter amendment that created a citizens' police oversight board.
But to his family, friends and former teammates and coach, Walker is remembered as a quiet, funny and loving man — someone they say they never imagined would die in such a tragic way.
Is Akron ready? With Jayland Walker grand jury decision coming, city prepares
City and communities leaders are working together to prepare Akron for whatever happens after a special grand jury decides this month whether the eight officers who fatally shot Jayland Walker should face criminal charges.
Widespread protests erupted last summer after Akron police fatally shot Walker more than 40 times following a car and foot chase June 27. Some of those protests turned destructive, leading to numerous broken windows and other damage to downtown businesses and dozens of arrests.
Ahead of the grand jury decision, the city has been hosting a series of community meetings, reactivating an informational website and considering the establishment of a designated protest area downtown.
Downtown Akron braces for more possible protests
On Monday, a special grand jury begin reviewing the evidence in Jayland Walker's shooting death by Akron police.
Most Akron business owners are reluctant to talk about the possibility of more unrest following developments in the case. However, words aren't always necessary.
Throughout last week, boards started appearing in windows of municipal buildings, retail outlets, apartment buildings and nonprofits located downtown.
The fortifications speak volumes about Akron's mood.
Read all of our coverage: Stories on the Jayland Walker police shooting since June 27
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Key stories about the Jayland Walker police shooting in Akron, Ohio
