Officers shot and killed Walker, 25, on Monday as he fled from officers who were pursuing him for a traffic and equipment violation, authorities said. The video showed officers unsuccessfully trying to stop Walker from using Tasers as he left his car before he fired a series of rounds, killing him. The video released by police on Sunday includes a video recounting the events leading up to the shooting, as well as body camera footage of Walker’s police pursuit and the fatal shooting. Walker’s body was blurred in the video at the request of his family, according to police. At a news conference Sunday, Police Chief Steve Mylett said the medical examiner found about 60 wounds on Walker’s body. It is not yet clear how many shots were fired by the eight officers involved in the shooting. Walker was pronounced dead at the scene and his death from multiple gunshot wounds was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner. Javon Williams, 13, is comforted by the Rev. Jaland Finney, left, as he speaks at a rally after watching a police body cam video of Jayland Walker. Lynette Williams, center, reacts after Javon’s impassioned speech. USA TODAY spoke with two criminal justice and policing experts who say the videos alone ultimately don’t provide full clarity on key moments of the shooting, including what led police to switch from using Tasers to deadly force and what led to the volume of police shootings of Walker, who was unarmed when he was shot, according to Mylett.
The video doesn’t show what prompted the officers to fire their weapons, the expert says
The video released shows officers pursuing a silver Buick at 12:30 a.m. on Monday for a traffic and equipment violation. While pursuing Walker in their cruiser, officers reported a shot coming from Walker’s car door. Officers pursued Walker as he refused to stop before eventually fleeing through the passenger door of the moving vehicle wearing a ski mask, the video shows. Multiple officers can be heard yelling at Walker before using their Tasers, then firing a rapid succession of rounds. The story continues The videos that were released helped give context to the shooting, including the high volume of gunfire, how the chase unfolded and the attempted use of Tasers by police before the fatal violence, according to Keith Taylor, an assistant professor at Department of Law, Police. Science and Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. ‘HARD TO WATCH AND SHOCKING’: Akron police release ‘heartbreaking’ video of Jayland Walker being shot up to 60 times DEPUTY GONE WILD? Federal task forces give state and local cops ridiculously broad immunity, writes Nick Sibilla for USA TODAY Opinion But the video doesn’t immediately show what caused the officers to start firing their weapons, Taylor said. “It is my understanding that he struck a pose that appeared to show him preparing to shoot at police officers and that was the reason for the use of deadly force,” he said. “I didn’t see that. And I’m sure that will be critical in this investigation.” This still image from a police body camera showing Jayland Walker wearing a ski mask and running from his car was shown during a news conference Sunday at the Firestone Community Center in Akron. Photos from the scene showed a gun in the front seat of Walker’s car, and Mylett said video and audio appear to show the flash of a gun and a shot being fired from Walker’s car during the vehicle pursuit. Walker was unarmed as he got out of his car and ran away from police, according to Mylett. A bill signed by Gov. Mike DeWine this year allows Ohioans over the age of 21 to legally carry concealed firearms without training or permits. The bill also removes the legal requirement for gun owners to tell police they are armed when stopped. “Ohio allows anyone to carry guns, no questions asked,” Lawlor said. “This is a recent policy that Governor DeWine just signed, no permit is needed. And when that happens, things like this are more likely to happen.” The video may not be clear enough to determine whether Walker posed a danger to others, including police, during the chase, according to Mike Lawlor, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven. “The question about whether someone is charged with a crime is: Did they reasonably believe someone’s life was in danger at the time?” Lawlor said.
“It started as a pure hack of equipment”
Police departments have different procedures for what constitutes a warrant for a high-speed chase, and the speed at which Walker was driven by police could have put others at risk, according to Taylor. “The driver who was actually speeding created a public safety condition because that driver could potentially run a red light and kill someone walking in the street or driving in an intersection,” Taylor said. Lawlor said most police departments have strict policies related to initiating high-speed pursuits, which often require weighing the potential danger to others alongside the nature of the crime for which the person is being pursued. “So if this started out as a pure equipment violation, which usually means a defective taillight or no license plate light, that would never warrant a pursuit in almost any part of the country,” he said. The video also raises questions about the reason behind the volume of shots fired at Walker by Akron police. Eight officers were directly involved in the shooting, and all have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Mylett, according to Akron police policy after involvement in the use of deadly force. Five other officers were at the scene, but were not involved in the shooting. USA TODAY OPINION: Jayland Walker left his gun in the car. Akron police then shot him 60 times. ‘IT WAS AWESOME, OUTSTANDING’: Akron leaders condemn Jayland Walker shooting Multiple officers simultaneously perceiving Walker as a deadly threat could have led to the high number of shootings, according to Taylor. “I’m not sure they had enough time to plan any kind of tactical approach to the situation,” Taylor said. “And I think all of them must have felt that there was an immediate threat to their lives.” The volume of shootings may also be more closely related to the number of officers involved than to their response to shootings, Lawlor said. “The training is if you think force is justified then you keep shooting at the center mass until the threat is gone,” he said. “They’re basically going to empty their guns.” Both Lawlor and Taylor acknowledged the important role the Akron Police Department’s transparency has in establishing the full sequence of events. An Akron city ordinance passed last year requires that police videos in cases involving the use of deadly force be posted online within seven days for the public to view. Akron police released body camera footage from the scene of Walker’s killing Sunday, six days after the shooting. Contributing: John Bacon and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Akron Beacon Journal; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayland Walker body cam footage: Police experts have more questions
