Akron Cops Fired 90 Shots at Slain Black Delivery Driver, Family Attorney Says
DEMANDING ANSWERS
Family attorneys say Jayland Walker was shot at 90 times by Akron, Ohio, police as they pursued the 25-year-old Black man on Monday. With body-cam footage still under wraps, Walker’s family begged for answers Thursday after he was gunned down in what began as a traffic stop for a traffic-equipment violation. Police said Walker, a DoorDash driver, refused to stop then fired at officers during a brief chase. Even without seeing body-cam, however, family attorney Bobby DiCello said Thursday he plans to hold each of the eight cops involved—reportedly seven white cops, one Black—accountable. “I’m going to say this to any police officer who wants to avoid accountability: we will get to the bottom of what occurred,” he said.
Flanking Walker’s sister and mom, who fought back tears during a Thursday press conference, DiCello’s co-council Paige White added, “From what we read: 90 shots. We don’t treat animals that way. Time and time again what we see across this country are white people who are able to commit crimes, to slaughter people and live to tell the tale.” Jayland’s aunt, Lajuana Walker-Dawkins added, “We just want some answers. We love him. He was my skinny little nephew.” DiCello said police plan to show body-cam footage to him by Friday and make it public by Sunday.