Two people arrested, three cars towed during Akron protest in North Hill

Two people were arrested, two people were cited and three vehicles were towed Monday evening during the latest protest over a grand jury's decision not to indict the eight Akron police officers involved in the killing of Jayland Walker.

Protesters have said they remain peaceful and are demonstrating to call for police reform, including calling for the eight officers to be fired. Police have said they're creating public safety concerns.

Around 6:10 p.m. Monday, several protesters on foot and a caravan of more than a dozen vehicles were traveling west on East Tallmadge Avenue.

What Akron police said happened

Police said that "during the procession, vehicles were seen driving recklessly, people hanging out of car windows, and blocking intersections. At one point, cars blocked the entire westbound travel lane on East Tallmadge Avenue, creating an understandable hindrance to other motorists."

A Beacon Journal photo taken in that area Monday night shows one person riding on the roof of a car while another is hanging out a window.

Police noted that in October, two children "were killed while riding in and hanging outside a car window during a funeral procession on South Arlington Street."

People have the First Amendment right to peacefully assemble to protest, and they can protest in public spaces, like streets, sidewalks and parks, as long as they aren’t blocking traffic, according to the ACLU of Ohio, which added that a protest that blocks traffic generally requires a permit. If marchers stay on sidewalks and obey traffic and pedestrian signals, their activity is constitutionally protected.

Akron protests: What to know if you're protesting about grand jury in Jayland Walker police shooting case

Police said that "based partly on the public safety concern," officers stopped a Nissan Armada in the Circle K parking lot on the corner of North Main Street and Tallmadge Avenue. The driver and a passenger were issued a citation and released.

Police said that during the stop, a blue vehicle driven by a 26-year-old man entered the parking lot and began filming the officers.

It's legal to photograph, video or audio record the police in public spaces.

Police said that "moments earlier, [the man] was also observed driving recklessly. At one point, he was observed operating the vehicle with an open door while standing up."

Police arrested the man, saying they also found a loaded handgun inside the car he was driving. He was charged with carrying concealed weapons, having weapons under disability and having a firearm in a motor vehicle; issued several citations; and taken to the Summit County Jail.

Police said they had to relocate two times after the stop "to avoid additional interference from protesters in the caravan."

A 40-year-old man, who had been leading the procession at various times, "arrived where the officers relocated and reportedly blocked the egress of at least one marked police vehicle with his body, which delayed them from leaving," police said.

He was arrested after police said he followed them to a second location, charged with obstructing official business and disorderly conduct and issued traffic citations for reckless operation. He was taken to the Summit County Jail.

Three vehicles were towed Monday night.

What Akron protesters said happened

In a series of tweets, Serve the People Akron, a local group supporting protesters, said the march started downtown, with carnations placed in front of the Stubbs Justice Center, which houses the police department.

'A Peaceful Message': Protesters lay flowers at Justice Center to mourn Jayland Walker

It then moved to the north side of Akron, in the area of Tallmadge Avenue, Main Street and Cuyahoga Falls Avenue, in Akron's North Hill neighborhood.

"[T]he march was well organized, people were protected, and friendly cars blocked traffic on only half of the road," the group said, claiming Akron police were harassing protesters.

Akron police can't use tear gas on peaceful protesters

Tensions have been high in the city after the announcement April 17 that the eight officers involved in Walker's shooting death won't be criminally charged.

During an April 19 protest on Copley Road, police officers used pepper spray and other chemical irritants on a crowd of protesters after police said bottles and other objects were thrown at them.

Police released an edited video that shows three examples of objects being thrown at officers and deputies as they walked toward the Copley Road protesters. The Beacon Journal wasn’t able to confirm the sequence of events in the police department’s video.

Copley Road protest: APD video shows Jayland Walker protesters throwing items before officers used chemicals

Eyewitnesses and some media said they did not see anything being thrown before police took action.

Akron agreed late Friday to a temporary restraining order lasting 14 days that forbids officers from using chemical irritants against peaceful protesters after the Akron Bail Fund sued the city in federal court.

Per the agreement between the city and the Akron Bail Fund, police can't use tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bang grenades and other uses of force against nonviolent protesters to enforce dispersal orders, traffic laws and/or misdemeanors. This applies to protesters who aren’t threatening physical harm or property damage, trespassing on private property or government buildings or impeding emergency services.

Nonviolent protesters are those who are “chanting, verbally confronting police, sitting, holding their hands up when approaching police, occupying sidewalks or streets apart from expressways or freeways, and/or passively resisting police orders” to exercise their First Amendment rights.

The Akron Bail Fund has raised other allegations in its federal lawsuit, including police making unnecessary arrests, having protesters’ vehicles towed, restricting where protests may be held and sending people arrested to the Stark County Jail.

Agreement reached: Akron agrees not to use tear gas on non-violent protesters after local group sues

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Emily Mills at emills@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter @EmilyMills818.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Two arrested, three cars towed during Akron protest in North Hill