AKRON, Ohio — It has been nearly two months since Jayland Walker was killed in a deadly police shooting involving eight Akron officers.
While members of the community were set to hold a 12 p.m. press conference Monday at the Akron NAACP office to discuss “taking the steps necessary for community oversight of the Akron Police Department," they've announced the event has been postponed.
A new date has not yet been announced.
“Akron organizers will provide details about their signature-collection efforts to launch a campaign to create and implement an Akron Civilian Review Board,” according to a press release.
Those who were expected to speak at the press conference include:
- Rev. Ray Greene Jr., Executive Director of The Freedom BLOC
- Judi Hill, President of Akron NAACP
The city of Akron had previously announced plans to create a civilian review board back on July 18.
“This is something that our community has been talking about for quite some time now," said Akron City Council President Margo Sommerville.
She said it's believed "this is the best pathway forward" for the community.
“The board will provide an independent community voice to the mayor, city council and also the chief of police in reviewing citizen complaints of the Akron police officers, analyzing public safety patterns and trends related to those complaints and regularly engaging with the community," Sommerville added.
Walker was shot and killed on June 27 when eight Akron police officers opened fire amid an overnight chase. Police say Walker had fired a shot at one point during the vehicle pursuit, but was unarmed at the time officers opened fire as the chase continued on foot. A gun was later found in Walker's vehicle, according to police.
His death is currently being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
RELATED: Akron addresses push to install dashcams in police cars after deadly shooting of Jayland Walker
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on July 15, 2022.
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