AKRON, Ohio — As protests continued in the city, Jayland Walker's friends, family, their legal representation and local NAACP representatives held a press conference at St. Ashworth Church on Thursday to address the 25-year-old's fatal shooting at the hands of Akron Police earlier this week.
You can watch the full press conference in the video above.
"How these events took place leaves us with many, many, many questions," Bobby DiCello, the lawyer representing the Walker family said. "Our job, by doing this press conference is to remind the police department for the City of Akron that we are here for accountability. We are also here to uphold the dignity of this man. Not to vilify him. Not to turn him into someone he was never intended to be. We're not going to let the media or the newspapers or the police define who he was. His family is here to tell you who he was. And he was a wonderful young man."
On behalf of the family, DiCello also called for any protests that take place in Walker's name to be peaceful in nature.
"We're here for peace and we're here for diginity," he said.
On Wednesday, 3News Investigates reported that records show that eight Akron Police officers fired approximately 90 shots at Walker, striking him 60 times. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when Akron Police say they attempted to stop Walker’s car for a traffic infraction and equipment issue. Walker instead led the officers on a high-speed chase down East Tallmadge Avenue toward State Route 8.
At some point, police say Walker fired a gun. Sources tell 3News Investigates that one casing was found in Walker’s car and a second was found on the roadway near Route 8.
The 4 1/2-minute chase took police south on Route 8 with speeds reaching about 80 mph at times, police said. Walker, 25, eventually jumped out of the car on Wilbeth Road near the Bridgestone Tire offices.
Police say they first deployed their tasers but opened fire after they said Walker made motions that caused them to fear bodily harm. Eight officers unleashed a hail of gunfire that was captured on body cameras worn by the officers.
Sources told 3News Investigates that some of the last shots were fired while Walker’s body was on the pavement. Walker was on the ground dead when medical help arrived. Autopsy records show he was handcuffed after the shooting. He was not armed at the time he was shot, sources said. A gun was recovered inside Walker’s car, the same sources confirmed.
Bodycam videos are expected to be released in the coming days. Police Chief Steven Mylett said he wants to meet with the Walker family and allow them to view the video before it is released to the public.
“The public is going to have legitimate questions and I’ve got questions,” Mylett said Wednesday.
Seven of the eight officers are white. Walker is Black.
Mylett has asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to lead the review of the officers’ conduct. It is the first time APD has asked for an outside agency to investigate an officer’s use of deadly force.