Jayland Walker, a Black man killed by police in Ohio, was shot at least 60 times, bodycam footage shows: 'This is going to be a brutal video'

Hannah Getahun
Updated ·3 min read
6

  • Jayland Walker, a Black man killed by police in Ohio, was shot 60 times, a lawyer who viewed body camera footage said.

  • Bobby DiCello described the video as "brutal" and an "unbelievable scene."

  • Police in Akron said they shot Walker because his actions caused officers to "perceive he posed a deadly threat."

After a police pursuit over a traffic violation, Jayland Walker was shot 60 times by police in Akron, Ohio, a lawyer who watched body camera footage of the incident on Friday said.

Bobby DiCello, the attorney representing Walker's family, described the video as an "unbelievable scene." He also said the shower of 90 bullets from the officer's guns, which he estimated lasted six seconds, sounded like "a whole brick of fireworks going off."

The body camera footage will be released to the public on Sunday by police.

"This is going to be a brutal video. It's going to stir up some passion. It's going to make people uneasy," he told the Akron Beacon Journal. 

The Akron Police Department released a statement Tuesday saying officers tried to pull 25-year-old Walker over for a traffic violation at 12:30 a.m. on June 28. Police said Walker refused to stop and drove off in his vehicle. A chase ensued and officers reported that a gun had gone off in the vehicle. The officers did not clarify how they knew a gunshot had went off.

DiCello said that when an officer reported the gunshot into the police radio "His voice doesn't get excited" and they continue to drive for several minutes.

DiCello also said his team has not been able to gather evidence that Walker pointed his gun at officers or that gunfire escaped his car. DiCello told The New York Times all of Walker's windows were intact after the fatal shooting.

Walker eventually hopped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Police say that "actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them."

DiCello said that the body camera footage may dispute some of these claims.

"There is no stopping and turning around," DiCello said. "There's no making his hand into the shape of a gun. There's no holding his cellphone. He has nothing in his hands."

DiCello also said an investigation into Walker's death suggests he sustained 60-80 gunshot wounds and that his body was "riddled with bullets."

Officers in Akron were placed on administrative leave following Walker's death, the NYT reported.

Over the past week, residents of Akron have been protesting on behalf of Walker. During a Thursday press conference Walker's family described Jayland as a "sweet young man" and asked for transparency from authorities over the shooting.

"We love Jayland," Lajuana Walker Dawkins, Walker's aunt, said Thursday. "He was my skinny little nephew and we miss him. We just want some answers."

The Akron Police Department and DiCello did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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