Rage at police: A protester stands in front of soldiers deployed in Akron, Ohio, following protests over the death of Jayland Walker. Image: AFP
What should have been a traffic stop ends in the next case of deadly police violence in the United States: Videos show police officers in Ohio firing dozens of shots at an unarmed young black man.
Exactly how many shots hit Jayland Walker is still under investigation. What is certain, however, is how many injuries the young man’s body has. According to Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett, there are “over sixty”. How many of them are entry wounds and how many are exit wounds have not yet been clarified. It’s 12:37 pm last Monday when eight police officers in Akron, Ohio, fire a hail of bullets at Walker. After the shootings, Police Chief Mylett described at a Sunday afternoon press conference, authorities administered first aid “to save his life”. The arrival of rescuers finally determined the death of the 25-year-old black man.
Sofia Dreisbach
Washington-based American political correspondent.
In fact, the cops wanted to stop Walker that night for a traffic violation. When he couldn’t stop, a seven-minute chase began that ended in his death. At this time, the young man was unarmed. It is yet another case of police brutality against black people in the United States that is causing outrage. Nearly a week after the incident, Akron City Police released video footage on Sunday that they say shows what happened. Mayor Dan Horrigan calls them “heartbreaking” at the press conference. There are no “superlatives to describe my feelings – and I have said I am beyond measure horrified, shocked and heartbroken”. He himself has many questions that still need to be answered.