'We want peace': Jayland Walker's family worries how public will react to police video, attorney says
AKRON, Ohio (WJW) - Protesters gathered in Akron for a march on Saturday to mourn 25-year-old Jayland Walker, demanding answers to questions about how and why he was shot to death by Akron police.
Those same questions are being asked by the attorney for Walker's family.
It was on June 27 at 12:30 a.m. that Akron police officers attempted to pull over Walker's car, but they report that he refused to stop and led them on a pursuit.
At one point, officers report that a shot was fired from Walker's car. A gun was later found in the car.
However, DiCello is questioning the police account.
"They were behind his car and all of his windows are intact, and I want you to imagine driving away from police officers and somehow as they’re behind you. Imagine shooting at them. If you don’t shoot through the back windshield, or if you don’t point the gun out of the window and point it at them, how could you possibly shoot at them? And one of the things we don’t have is evidence of them ever being shot ‘at,’” said DiCello.
The chase ended on East Wilbeth Avenue when Walker stopped his car, got out of the passenger side and began running through a parking lot.
Chief Steve Mylett maintains what happened next prompted the use of deadly force by a total of eight officers.
"He turned towards the officers and the officers perceived his behavior as a threat and the officers engaged Mr. Walker with gunfire,” said Chief Mylett.
But after reviewing police body camera video, the family and their attorney dispute the claim by officers.
"As he's just starting to make a slight turn with his head kind of back over towards his shoulder, he is gunned down in a hail of gunfire. His body is actually shot as he is on the ground. The only gesture I saw was him running away,” said DiCello.
The attorney says the specific number of shots fired by the officers was provided to the family by Chief Mylett.
"At least 90 rounds were fired at Jayland, and at least 60 of those are wounds on his body,” said DiCello.
The medical examiner hasn't released any information on how many shots were fired or how many shots hit Walker.
Police plan to release the body camera video of the incident on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"I can tell you I have never in my life imagined what I have seen. I can't understand it and I hope I never see it again,” said DiCello.
Walker's family is concerned about how the public will react to the video, and they are calling for calm.
“We want peace. This family has had enough violence. We want dignity, we want to celebrate the life of this young man in a way that brings dignity to him and to the city and we want justice, which means a fair process, reviewing all the facts and let that process play out. We do not want violence of any kind.”
The shooting is being investigated by agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.