Why did Akron police drive off with protester's car in gas station parking lot?

Why did an Akron police officer drive a person's car from a North Hill gas station during protests over a grand jury's decision not to indict the eight Akron police officers involved in the killing of Jayland Walker?

Videos have been circulating widely on social media showing a police officer driving off with a blue car from the Circle K at the intersection of North Main Street and East Tallmadge Avenue on April 24. One video on TikTok has been viewed nearly 650,000 times since Saturday.

The department's spokesperson, Lt. Michael Miller, said nothing legally prohibits officers from moving the car.

"In general, I can say that there is nothing I am aware of in the law or our procedures that prohibits an officer from briefly moving a vehicle especially if they don’t feel the scene is safe. Vehicles then can be moved to further the legal performance of duties," Miller said in an email.

According to the ACLU of Ohio, "If police arrest someone in a car, they may also search the passenger area, the area near the driver, and the other people in the car. Police may also take the car and then search it."

A city spokesperson said in an email Monday that officials won't be commenting further on the incident, referring a Beacon Journal reporter to the police department's daily report that discussed the incident (which the Beacon Journal reported last week).

In the email, Miller said the blue car was one of the three that were towed that night. It was driven by the 26-year-old who was arrested after police said they found an "illegal handgun" inside.

What happened during the protest?

The protest happened one week after the grand jury's decision was announced on April 17. Two people were arrested, two people were cited and three vehicles were towed that night, police said.

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

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. Akron police said there were several protesters on foot and a caravan of more than a dozen vehicles were traveling west on East Tallmadge Avenue.

"[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 protests: Two people arrested, three cars towed during Akron protest in North Hill

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.

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.

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 East Tallmadge Avenue. The driver and a passenger were issued a citation and released.

Police said that during the stop, the 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."

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.

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

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and on Twitter @TawneyBeans.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Videos on social media show Akron police drive off with protester's car