Akron, national NAACP seek federal probe of Akron police shooting

Local and national NAACP officials are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker.

“We are asking for Department of Justice to come in,” said Akron NAACP President Judi Hill. “We want a consent decree from the state. We are looking for real change. And, so, we know it can't happen within. It hasn't happened to date.”

More: What we know — and still don't know — about the police shooting death of Jayland Walker

The NAACP demand for a federal review comes on the heels of locally elected Black officials in Summit County requesting DOJ involvement. The officials want more than the state of Ohio and the city of Akron to review the matter, which is being investigated internally by the Akron Police Department and, at the request of the chief of police, externally by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

What Ohio lawmakers are saying about a Jayland Walker investigation

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's office said: "Senator Brown is in close contact with the Department of Justice and his office is ready to assist however needed."

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman and U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan and Shontel Brown did not respond to requests for comment made Tuesday.

More: Who was Jayland Walker? 'He was the most sincere, most kindhearted person,' friend says

But Shontel Brown, in a statement Friday, said she had requested that DOJ monitor the investigation, adding, "The senseless killings of unarmed Black Americans are tragic events our country continues to relive.”

Ryan's office said the congressman has not been in contact with DOJ regarding the incident, but he issued a statement Sunday supporting the Walker family, the Akron community and "a thorough, independent investigation to understand what happened and ensure accountability.”

Akron NAACP president calls for changes to police procedures

Hill called for changes to police procedure in Akron.

“What I'd like to see happen is that, first of all, any equipment violations should never lead to the death of anyone. That's number one," said Hill. "You go to Cleveland, you go anywhere, they take a picture of your license plates, and they send you a frickin’ ticket. Send me the ticket.”

An Akron police officer attempted to stop Walker on Tallmadge Avenue at 12:30 a.m. June 27 for what has been reported as a cracked taillight, non-working license plate light and an unspecified traffic violation. The officer pursued Walker onto state Route 8 where the sound of gunshot can be heard in his body-worn camera footage and a flash consistent with a muzzle blast was captured in the driver's side window of Walker’s silver Buick, according to a traffic camera from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The chase ended a block east of Main Street on Wilbeth Avenue where police set up a road barricade. Walker ran from his vehicle, leaving a handgun that appears to be unloaded in the car beside a magazine clip and a wedding ring. At least 13 officers chased Walker. Two appear to have fired Tasers, according to body-camera footage released Sunday. Eight officers fired on Walker, who fell instantly. Some fired only briefly and called for a cease-fire while several others emptied their clips into Walker as he laid on an asphalt parking lot.

More: Gruesome videos, Jayland Walker's motions intensify debate; attorney disputes city's claims

Police Chief Steve Mylett said Sunday that he “would not be surprised” if the number of bullets that hit their target is consistent with the 60 or more gunshot wounds photographed in a preliminary autopsy report.

Hill said federal officials should be reviewing the city’s police chase policy, which states that pursuits “must be based on the pursuing officer’s reasonable belief that the immediate danger to the officer and the public created by the pursuit is less than the immediate or potential danger to the public should the suspect remain at large.”

Mylett said Sunday the “routine traffic stop” became a public emergency when Walker allegedly fired a single round after turning onto the highway.

Hill questioned how a police supervisor would allow 10 or more cruisers to pursue Walker.

“We should never have a car chase for one person. There has to be some discernment, and an understanding from our police department. It can't just be wild, wild west," she said.

More: Seven seconds of shooting: What 13 police bodycam videos show in Jayland Walker's death

Hill is also asking that the city revisit the ordinance it crafted on the prompt release of body-camera footage in deadly force cases. The law allows the city to cut the video off at the point of the shooting.

“What happened after that? Why is it stopped there during a situation like this? Because then you can see how the scene was handled completely. And so that's another concern for me,” Hill said.

Akron NAACP president calls for changes in city, culture

Hill said she’s not sure “how we’ve gotten to this place in America” where a white man accused of a shooting rampage killing at least six people at a July Fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois, is taken into custody without incident and "a young (Black) man running with no gun in sight is gunned down.”

More: 'Jayland's life mattered!' Akron march continues overnight over police shooting

“We can't bring Jayland back,” Hill said. “There's nothing we can do to bring him back. It's got to be about real change.

“We've had a change in personnel,” she said, referring to the city’s two new police chiefs in the past five years. “And that hasn't made a difference. Now we have to make changes within the culture and what we do in the city.”

Reach reporter Doug Livingston at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-719-1756.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron NAACP calls for federal DOJ to investigate Jayland Walker police shooting