Authorities in Akron, Ohio, released police body camera video over the weekend showing the moment of death of African-American driver Jayland Walker, who was shot Monday by police officers as he tried to escape a sting operation. detention.
According to The Guardian, the footage shows the police chase of Walker’s car and the moment when officers managed to surround the 25-year-old man in a parking lot, then tried to subdue him with a Taser and firearms. Walker had been pulled over by authorities for a traffic violation. The chase lasted about 45 minutes.
Walker’s family attorney, Bobby DiCello, said the video reveals officers shot the driver 90 times, accused of shooting at authorities from his car before trying to drive away, leaving the gun inside the vehicle. Those responsible for the investigation assured that it has not yet been determined how many bullets were fired, but the forensic doctor detected some 60 wounds on Walker’s body caused by a firearm.
Demonstration in Akron after the death of an African American at the hands of the American police
Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said the footage confirms there was a gun in place of the coat hanger and that video captured by security cameras appears to show a shot being fired from a window during the chase, in which About ten agents participated. eight of whom were involved in the shooting. These were temporarily removed from their duties.
Mylett, who said he would not prosecute anyone until the Ohio Criminal Investigation Section’s investigation was complete, described the body camera footage as “heartbreaking” and difficult to watch “for various reasons,” The Guardian quoted him as saying. DiCello also said that the images are “brutal” and thanked, on behalf of Walker’s family, the support of the community, appealing for calm. “The family does not need more violence. They just want peace, dignity and justice for Jayland.”
Jayland Walker’s death sparked a wave of demonstrations in Akron over the weekend. This Sunday, after the video was released, several hundred protesters gathered in front of City Hall with signs calling for justice for Jayland. The authorities called for calm. Mayor Dan Horrigan said, according to the LA Times, that community members have a right to speak, but said he hoped citizens “can agree that violence and destruction is not the answer.”
Source: Observadora
