AKRON, Ohio — Police released footage Sunday showing officers firing dozens of rounds at a black man who abandoned his car to escape a traffic stop last week. Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett said he did not know the exact number of rounds fired at Jayland Walker. But, Mylett added, the coroner’s report listed more than 60 wounds on the body of the 25-year-old, whose killing has sparked outrage and demands for accountability. The police chief described the video, which was blurred to hide Walker, as “hard to watch” and “shocking”. He said he would reserve judgment until he heard from the officers involved. Evidence indicates Walker fired a gun from inside his vehicle during the car chase, Mylett said. “When an officer makes the most critical decision of their life as a police officer, when they fire a gun at another human being, they have to be ready to explain why they did what they did — they have to be able to articulate what specific threats they were facing,” he said. “And that goes for every round that goes down the barrel of their gun. And they must be held accountable.” Eight officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Police attempted to stop Walker’s vehicle at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Monday to investigate an unspecified traffic violation and chased him when he didn’t pull over, they said. The Akron Police Department said a gun was fired from the vehicle — a claim Walker’s family has disputed. A short time later, Walker jumped out of the car and ran into a parking lot, with the officers in pursuit. “The suspect’s actions led officers to believe that he posed a deadly threat to them,” the police department said in a news release. “In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.” Walker was pronounced dead in the parking lot. A lawyer for his family, Bobby DiCello, told the Washington Post this weekend that eight police officers fired more than 90 bullets at Walker, with more than 60 striking his body. “There are wounds all over his sides and all over his body,” DiCello said. Police said a gun was recovered from the vehicle. DiCello said there is no evidence that an officer was fired upon. Akron residents joined Walker’s family in demanding accountability for his death, the third police shooting in the northeast Ohio city since December. Amid the uproar, Mayor Daniel Horrigan (D) announced the cancellation of the Rib, White & Blue Festival scheduled for July 4th weekend. “I fully understand that some residents and guests will be disappointed by the decision to cancel the festival this bank holiday weekend,” he said in a statement. “Independence Day is meant to be a celebration and a time to gather with friends and family. Unfortunately, I feel strongly that this is not the time for a city-led celebration.” In a joint statement before Sunday’s press conference, the mayor and police chief described the shooting as “a dark day for our city, for the families of those involved, as well as for the officers.” They added that “the loss of any life is absolutely devastating to our entire community.” Residents held a vigil outside the police station Friday night, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. After the release of the video, a rally has been planned, with the protesters marching to City Hall. A lone protester waited behind reporters gathered outside the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center on Akron’s South Main Street Sunday morning, awaiting the release of the video. Sarah Nelson, a 29-year-old White woman, had driven nearly an hour from Cleveland. He stood quietly on the sidewalk holding a sign that read “Justice for Jayland.” “I feel a responsibility to show up,” Nelson said. More than 1,040 people have been fatally shot by police in the past year across the country, according to data from the Washington Post. Half of them were White, but Black Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate. They make up less than 13 percent of the US population, but are killed by police at more than twice the rate of whites. This is a developing story that will be updated. Shammas reported from Grand Rapids, Mich., and Bella reported from Washington. Kim Bellware contributed from Chicago.
