Friday, March 29

Protesters take to Akron streets after Jayland Walker body cam footage released


AKRON, Ohio — Following the release of bodycam video in the Akron police fatal shooting of Jayland Walker, protesters took to the streets of downtown to make their voices heard.

On Sunday afternoon, members of the Akron chapter of the NAACP led dozens from Quaker Station to Akron City Hall. Speakers included a relative of Walker, who called for peace, along with others who urged residents to use the power of their vote. Some people held signs made from cardboard boxes. The crowd included people of different races, sexualities, gender identities, and disabilities.

Walker was shot to death by Akron Police after a pursuit and foot chase. Video shows that the 25-year-old DoorDash driver was shot dozens of times. Eight officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of an independent investigation.

Elected Ohio leaders, including US Rep. Shontel Brown and US Sen. Sherrod Brown, have called for justice.

The US Attorney’s office said it is “closely monitoring and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the death of Jayland Walker,” along with the FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The FBI continues to coordinate with state and local partners to provide resources and specialized skills. If the evidence reveals potential violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take appropriate action.”

Down the street from City Hall, a separate protest took place in front of the Akron Police Department, which was barricaded. Officers were stationed inside looking out at activists through large glass windows, while others stood watch from a parking garage across the street. This protest had a slightly different feel from the NAACP’s as a man with a megaphone urged, “I want to talk directly to the police” and led a chant of “Hey, hey, ho, ho, these racist cops have got to go. ” Many people from the NAACP protest joined the group.

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A Cleveland woman spoke in megaphone to show her support saying, “I didn’t know him, but I feel y’all pain. I want y’all to know, this thing is trending everywhere, Nigeria, Germany. We can’t let this keep happening to us. My heart goes out to all of [those] getting killed in these streets. It ain’t right, we need to stand together.”

She added that she refused to buy her son the toy gun she wanted because of her fear of police mistaking it for a real gun, reminiscent of the 2014 police shooting of Tamir Rice in Cleveland.

After a while, protesters swelled to the hundreds began marching once again, this time toward a bridge, usually bustling with traffic. With the help of several cars and their large numbers, they blocked the intersection of Exchange and High Street as one organizer said that their presence was powerful and that until they got justice, they were going to disrupt the city.

Aside from halting traffic in Akron’s downtown, the group was peaceful and organized, but things got a bit heated when they walked past Summit County Sheriff officers in SWAT gear carrying semi-automatic weapons. One protester began shouting in the window at an officer inside a large armored vehicle while another climbed onto the vehicle, other marchers got in the faces of officers standing stone-faced on the curb.

Protesters confront police in armored vehicles during Akron protests after the shooting of Jayland Walker.

Several more officers were deployed to the scene. With simmering anger, organizers and members of the Fred Hampton Gun Club stepped in, reminding them that there were children present.

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The group made their way back to the Akron Police Department where they continued to express their frustrations through chants and continued shouts at police. An Akron resident, who did not want to be identified, told cleveland.com that she was there because she was tired of seeing Black people’s bodies “disrespected by people that’s supposed to protect us.”

“They try to misunderstand us and misrepresent us, so we have to get out here and we have to demand our respect. I’m happy that people showed up. I wasn’t sure if Akron was going to show up today, but I’m happy to see a lot of people out here and I hope it will continue.”


www.cleveland.com

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