Akron Officers Cleared in Internal Investigation
November 28, 2023
The eight Ohio police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker didn’t violate any rules, according to an internal investigation by the Akron Police Department. Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot after authorities tried to pull him over for a traffic violation in June 2022. During a car chase, Walker fired a single bullet from his vehicle, and the officers subsequently chased him on foot and shot him a total of 46 times. A special grand jury earlier this year concluded that the officers were legally justified in using force and declined to indict them on criminal charges.
Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett released the findings of the internal investigation. He stated that the use of deadly force was in compliance with the policies of the City of Akron Police Department and that the officers had an objectively reasonable belief that Walker was armed and could present a risk to them or their fellow officers. He also stated that the officers did not violate agency policies when they used deadly force on June 27, 2022. Demonstrators have protested the killing of Jayland Walker outside Akron City Hall.