The next major American police shooting controversy has arrived.
Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old black man, was shot and killed by police in Akron, Ohio, in the early hours of Monday morning. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, police fired as many as 90 shots at Walker, leading to the 25-year-old suffering as many as “60 to 80 wounds.”
In response to the shooting, protests are expected to break out in Akron and across the country.
Democratic Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced that the city’s patriotic “Rib, White, and Blue Festival,” which was set to begin Friday and run through Monday, July 4th, has been canceled, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
City officials are preparing to release bodycam footage from the incident.
Once the bodycam footage is released, it appears that the city is preparing for violent unrest to follow.
With the potential of unrest in Akron, snow plows are being used as street barriers surrounding the area of the Akron Police Department. This in the wake of the shooting death of 25 year old Jayland Walker. I have details this morning on @wkyc pic.twitter.com/cnre5r8Vfm
— Austin Love (@AustinLoveTV) July 1, 2022
According to WKYC-TV’s Austin Love, snow plows are being used as street barriers around the Akron Police Department.
Should the city hold rioters accountable?
“With the potential of unrest in Akron, snow plows are being used as street barriers surrounding the area of the Akron Police Department. This in the wake of the shooting death of 25 year old Jayland Walker,” Love reported.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the footage is set to be released Sunday afternoon.
“Mayor Dan Horrigan and Police Chief Steve Mylett will host a press conference 1 p.m. Sunday to talk about Walker’s death and to provide further details and to review video footage of the shooting,” the Journal reported.
“Bodycam video footage will be released immediately after the press conference.”
Bobby DiCello, the attorney for Walker’s family, has reviewed the footage and told the Journal it showcases an “unbelievable scene.”
According to the Journal, the shooting was preceded by a traffic stop. Walker then drove off, prompting a chase.
At some point, one officer claimed that Walker fired a gun from the car.
Eventually, Walker jumped out of his car and ran, and police chased him on foot until they said Walker presented a “deadly threat.”
It was at that point that the officers opened fire.
The soon-to-be-released bodycam footage will reveal how much of this account turns out to be true.
