The U.S. city of Akron, Ohio, has declared a state of emergency and imposed an overnight curfew in the city center after hundreds of protesters took to the streets to denounce the police killing of a black man.
Mayor Daniel Horrigan on Monday announced the 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew in a statement, saying peaceful protests calling for justice for Jayland Walker had intensified and caused “significant property damage.”
“In view of the damage that has been done and in order to preserve peace in our community, I have declared a state of emergency, implemented a curfew and canceled the fireworks that were scheduled to tonight, ”Horrigan said, adding that the curfew will be in effect. effect until further notice.
Protesters rallied Sunday to demand justice for Walker, who was shot dead by police last week in the town of Rust Belt in another deadly police violence incident against blacks in the United States.
It was the fourth and largest protest in as many days, and came hours after footer camera footage of Walker’s assassination was released, showing police firing dozens of shots as they chased the 25-year-old. fleeing a traffic stop.
Police have said Walker posed a deadly threat to officers.
But advocates say the murder was unjustified, and Derrick Johnson, president of the influential American Civil Rights Group, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), called it: “Murder. Blank . ”
Protesters protest Akron police who shot dead black man Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio [Gaelen Morse/Reuters]
Here’s what we know so far:
What did the police say?
Walker was shot dead by police in a parking lot in the early hours of the morning of June 27th.
Police said in a statement released the next day that officers had tried to stop Walker’s car around 12:30 (4:30 GMT) for an unspecified traffic violation. They said Walker refused to stop and chased him down a road.
“During the chase, officers reported that a firearm had been fired from the suspicious vehicle,” the statement said.
After several minutes, the car slowed down and Walker fled on foot and police chased him to a nearby parking lot.
“The suspect’s actions led officers to perceive that he posed a deadly threat to them,” the statement said. “In response to this threat, officers fired their firearms and beat the suspect.”
Walker died at the scene.
At a news conference Sunday, Police Chief Steve Mylett said more than 60 injuries were found in Walker’s body, but more research is needed to determine exactly how many rounds the officers fired and how many times Walker was hit. .
What do the images on the body camera show?
Body camera footage released Sunday shows the moment Walker fled the vehicle. After a chase of about 10 seconds, police open fire, firing dozens of rounds at Walker, who appears to have his back to them. The shooting continues while Walker is on the ground, until an agent is heard telling the others to cease fire.
In the images, it is difficult to distinguish Walker’s actions as he fled, but Mylett said a series of photographs posted by the department appear to show him “going down to the waist area.” He said another photo shows him turning to an officer and a third “captures a forward movement of his arm.”
The police department also posted traffic images that said they showed an alleged flash of the muzzle of Walker’s vehicle during the chase. Police said they recovered a gun, a loaded magazine and what appeared to be a wedding ring in the car seat.
Attorney Bobby DiCello holds a photograph of Jayland Walker [Reuters]
What have the lawyers in Walker’s family said?
A lawyer representing Walker’s family has criticized officers for opening fire while turning his back on Walker.
Attorney Bobby DiCello called the police shooting blast excessive and unreasonable and alleged officers handcuffed Walker before attempting to provide assistance.
“How this has been achieved with research is beyond me,” DiCello said Sunday.
He stressed that Walker was unarmed when he fled the vehicle and at the time received a shot.
“I hope we remember that when Jayland crossed that parking lot, he was unarmed,” DiCello said.
He also said he was “very concerned” about the accusation that Walker had fired at police earlier. On Saturday, DiCello questioned the evidence authorities said showed Walker had fired.
Ask for justice
Protests have continued in Akron, a city and its environs with a population of 700,000 people, since Thursday, with Walker’s family demanding justice, but also peaceful demonstrations.
Several hundred protesters marched in the town hall on Sunday in a mostly peaceful demonstration. Late at night, some of those gathered lit fires near a police barricade outside the police headquarters. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
Akron Mayor Horrigan called the shooting “heartbreaking” while asking for patience from the community.
The family, speaking through representatives, has said Walker was not a criminal. They noted that he was mourning the death of his girlfriend in a car accident in May, but had not shown any worrying behavior.
Meanwhile, Johnson of the NAACP said the race considered the murder.
“This black man was killed … for a possible traffic violation,” he said in a statement.
“This is not happening to whites in the United States,” he added, also criticizing the police department’s response.
Protesters confront soldiers with riot gear as police deploy tear gas and grenade traps to clear the area around Akron City Hall and Akron Police Department during a protest over Jayland’s murder Walker [Matthew Hatcher/AFP]
Speaking to the Akron Beacon Journal, Robert Hubbard, who coached Walker in wrestling for four years at Buchtel High School, recalled him as “one of the sweetest, most manageable kids I’ve ever had.”
“It wasn’t what they were describing in the news … no, that’s not the kid I know,” he said.
A group of black elected officials from Summit County, which includes Akron, has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the murder, saying “we are extremely exhausted by continuing to play with black men and women shot at the hands of those who have sworn to protect and serve ”.
Federal authorities are often involved in investigations if it is a violation of a person’s civil liberties.
The investigation is currently being managed by the Ohio Office of Criminal Investigation. Akron police are conducting a separate internal investigation into whether officers violated the department’s rules or policies.
The eight officers involved were put on administrative leave, the police department said a day after the murder.