April 17 (UPI) — A special grand jury in Ohio on Monday decided eight Akron police officers won’t face criminal charges in the death of 25-year-old Jayland Walker, who was shot 46 times.
The grand jury began its hearing on April 10, convening for six days to determine whether the eight officers would be indicted. The jury, composed of nine members including two Black jurors, determined the actions of the officers were justified, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Seven votes were required to indict.
Walker was killed on June 27 after allegedly evading police attempting to pull him over for an unspecified traffic stop. Officers accused him of firing a gun while driving away. He later left the gun in his vehicle while he attempted to escape on foot, police said. He was unarmed when he was killed and he had no criminal history.
“The question for the grand jury was not whether this was a horrible tragedy, as it clearly was,” David Yost, Ohio attorney general, said in a statement. “The question the grand jury was charged with evaluating was whether the officers were justified in their actions. The grand jury — nine citizens who live in Summit County — determined that the officers were justified.”
According to Yost, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted more than 100 interviews with more than 50 officers, including the eight involved. The Akron Police Department has not named the officers involved.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Anthony Pierson reportedly recounted for the jury Walker’s actions during the chase and shooting based on evidence that was collected during the investigation. He told the jury officers fired after Walker turned around and raised his arm, making officers believe he was a threat. They fired 94 shots at him in less than 7 seconds.
Rep. Emilia Sykes, an Akron native, said she will request that the Justice Department investigate the Akron Police Department.
“We’ve seen it too many times. A routine traffic stop ends in death, and a family and community mourn the loss of a son. A brother. A friend. A neighbor,” Sykes said in a statement. “As this country and community reckons with another tragic death, we find ourselves yearning for a justice system that protects us all.”
