Mark Gillispie, The Associated Press Posted Friday, 15 July 2022 11:01 EDT Last Updated on Friday, 15 July 2022 11:01 EDT
AKRON, Ohio (AP) – Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old black man who died last month at the hands of police in Akron, Ohio, received dozens of shots, with 26 bullets recovered from his body, according to a report preliminary autopsy released Friday.
Dr. Lisa Kohler, the forensic doctor in Summit County, said it was impossible for her office to say which bullet killed Walker or the number of shots fired.
Walker “had several very devastating injuries that would cause death,” including injuries to his heart, lungs and arteries, Kohler said. He counted 41 entry wounds and five bullet wounds that grazed Walker.
Preliminary findings published earlier indicated that Walker’s body had more than 60 wounds. Summit County Communications Director Greta Johnson said Friday it was “very possible” a bullet could cause multiple injuries at the entrance.
Walker had five back injuries, but it’s impossible to tell if they came when he escaped or turned around while being shot, Kohler said.
The medical examiner gave a summary of the report on Walker’s death at a press conference. The report was finalized on Thursday.
The June 27 chase began when officers attempted to arrest him for team infractions. Authorities say Walker fired a shot from his car 40 seconds into the chase.
The forensic doctor’s findings confirm the fact that Walker, unarmed and without drugs or alcohol in his system, “came to a brutal and senseless death,” said Ken Abbarno, a lawyer representing Walker’s family.
Kohler had said before that no drugs or alcohol were detected in Walker. Walker was remembered by family and friends at his Wednesday funeral as a shy, kind and thoughtful man with a calm sense of humor.
A message was sent to a police department spokesman on Friday asking for comments on the autopsy findings.
The update comes a day after the NAACP directly asked Attorney General Merrick Garland for the Justice Department to open a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting death.
Police said Walker fled an attempt to stop traffic for minor equipment infractions and fired a shot from his car during the chase of the vehicle, but that he was not armed when officers shot him. .
Police camera footage shows Walker wearing a ski mask, jumping through the passenger door of his still-moving car and then running to a parking lot where police opened fire. These blurry images do not clearly show what authorities say was a threatening gesture made by Walker before he was shot.
In the front seat of Walker’s car were found an unloaded pistol, an ammunition clip and what looked like a wedding band, authorities said.
The agents involved are on paid leave while the state investigates the shooting. Seven of these officers are white and one is black. None of them have a history of discipline, well-founded allegations or deadly shootings, according to the police department.
The local police union has said officers thought there was an immediate threat of serious damage and believes its actions and the number of shots will be justified according to their training and protocols.
Police in neighboring New Franklin Township had tried to stop him and then chased a car that matched Walker’s for the same minor infractions of the team less than 24 hours before Akron’s chase. A supervisor there suspended the chase when the car crossed the town’s border with Akron.
Bobby DiCello, a lawyer for Walker’s family, has said Walker did not deserve to die. DiCello said after Walker’s funeral that he will hold police accountable for every round fired with their weapons.
Associated Press writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus contributed to this report.