Akron police response escalates Sunday as protests for Jayland Walker turn to civil unrest
After several days of peaceful protests — including a full day of marches after police released bodycam footage of officers' fatal shooting of Jayland Walker — police response escalated as intermittent violence broke out during protests downtown late Sunday night.
Around 10 p.m., a large crowd rallied at the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center on South High Street. As chants demanding justice for Walker continued, some people began hurling water bottles and other objects at the building.
Protestors promptly kick this person out of the demonstration as he takes down a street sign. “You are not an ally.” pic.twitter.com/b3zcC01ONp
— Molly Walsh (@MollyWaIsh) July 4, 2022
Trying to keep the peace, protesters called for calm and kicked out a person who was pulling down a street sign.
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"We have to honor the Walker family's wishes," said Davontae Winchester, one of many organizers from the marches earlier in the day. "If you did not come here to be peaceful and stand in solidarity, this is not the place for you."
The situation grew more hectic as police shot tear gas canisters into crowds of protesters. While fleeing from the Justice Center and the plumes of smoke, cars began driving on the sidewalk to get around snowplows parked by the city to block off High Street, and protesters launched smoke bombs into the streets.
One protester began using a bat to break windows of the snowplows. Several windows were shattered in the trucks, but at 11 p.m. there was little sign of additional damage downtown.
A line of officers dressed in riot gear blocked off access to the Justice Center on High Street.
'He was outgunned, outmanned': Akron leaders condemn shooting of Jayland Walker
After 11 p.m., protesters took to Main Street, where earlier in the night two dumpsters had been set on fire near South Main and Church streets.
After midnight, foot traffic appeared to diminish as a line of nearly a dozen police cruisers drove slowly down South Main Street.
With tears streaming down her face and a hand over her heart, longtime Akron resident Lynnette Williams stood under the Akron Civic Theatre's marquee watching the scene.
"I am angry and I am sad, but I don't want violence," she said. "Jayland's mom wanted peace. I never could have imagined this. Not in my Akron."
Police leaving a trail of tear gas down Main Street. Protestors on-foot have dispersed for most part at least by the Civic. @beaconjournal pic.twitter.com/aVF8tvrUpF
— Molly Walsh (@MollyWaIsh) July 4, 2022
Full day, evening of rallies in Akron
Earlier in the day, community members gathered, many huddled together in groups to watch a live 1 p.m. press conference by Mayor Dan Horrigan and Police Chief Steve Mylett to discuss Walker's death and review video footage of the shooting.
Akron resident Sandra Dees, whose son, Jordan McCormick, was killed two months ago by police in Texas, almost left the protest when she saw the footage. She is still waiting for the bodycam footage of her son's fatal shooting to be released.
"No mom should have to bury their child," Dees said. "I know what (Jayland's mom) is feeling right now, and she doesn't want people to act out, but the police just keep getting away with doing whatever they want to do."
By 2 p.m., armed protesters arrived, announcing they were there to keep the protest peaceful among participants, police and passersby.
At 2:30 p.m., hundreds of people gathered outside Quaker Station on Broadway downtown for an Akron NAACP Community Peace Rally. Many carried homemade signs, and others held black NAACP signs that read #WeAreDoneDying.
Russel Tee, a prominent TikToker and activist from Virginia, was among the protesters. Tee has participated in similar protests across the country for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others killed by police.
"At this point it's state-sanctioned terrorism," Tee said of Walker's shooting death. "This specifically was an assassination — 90 shots in six seconds, 60 of them hit him. He never had a chance to live."
More: Akron police release 'heartbreaking' body cam videos of officers killing Jayland Walker
More: 'Jayland's life mattered!' Akron march continues overnight over police shooting
Black leaders speak at Akron NAACP Community Peace Rally
A speaker with a megaphone urged participants to remember, "We are Akron. ... We are representing Akron. This is a peaceful protest."
The group headed toward City Hall, past the Stubbs Justice Center, where others had already gathered, shouting, "No more dying!" as they marched.
Near the Summit County Courthouse, they passed the Summit County sheriff's SWAT team, which was armed and in full gear.
Broadway and portions of High Street were closed to accommodate the demonstrations.
More: 'We deserve better from our police.' Black leaders want feds to probe Jayland Walker's death
Once at City Hall, Black lawmakers, including city and state representatives, spoke to the crowd that had grown to an estimated 1,000 people.
"I am tired of 'only if,'" said Judi Hill, president of the Akron NAACP. "'If only he had stopped.' ...
"Only if they treated us like humans, we wouldn't have this," she said. "Only if the police had understood there was one person in that car, only if they valued the life of an African American man."
Hill told the Beacon Journal that the NAACP would stay on top of the situation and that Mylett did the right thing by sending the investigation of the shooting to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. She called Walker’s death unnecessary.
Another speaker at the NAACP rally called for the mayor to suspend the eight officers involved in the incident without pay. They currently are on paid leave while the investigation into the incident continues.
"Our new police chief, you are still a guest (in the city); we demand you fire the officers," he said, adding that Akron City Council should draft legislation to prevent police from pulling over vehicles for things like broken taillights.
Some speakers urged the crowd to vote, saying: "We have got to commit to change. We all live in this community, and we want change. ...
"All of us are about what's next."
Marchers block traffic in downtown Akron, then move on
At about 4:30 p.m., well after the NAACP Community Peace Rally had ended, the bulk of protesters who had gathered in front of the Stubbs Justice Center marched south down High Street. Some were armed with handguns, semi-automatic rifles and at least one crossbow.
The marchers then turned east on East Exchange Street, blocking the intersection of Exchange and High to prevent traffic from moving along Exchange.
A protester holding a semi-automatic rifle stood in the intersection of Exchange and Broadway, blocking traffic.
The group then continued marching, and traffic was moving again on Exchange soon after. Once the protesters hit South Main Street, they headed north and continued marching on the streets of downtown Akron until they were once again in front of the justice center.
Protesters confront SWAT team before others defuse situation
At one point, protesters confronted two members of the Summit County Sheriff's SWAT team. SWAT members were guarding the nearby Summit County Courthouse, across from the former National Inventors Hall of Fame. The SWAT members stood quietly as people shouted at them.
Others who had been marching, including members who were armed, moved the yelling protesters away from the SWAT members and defused the confrontation.
As the protest at the justice center was winding down late Sunday afternoon, one speaker reminded the crowd that Walker's mother wanted peace as well as justice.
Another speaker told the crowd that they had the right to assemble their own militias and could organize and protect their own communities.
Alexus Walker, 29-year-old cousin of Jayland Walker, spoke briefly to the crowd at the justice center.
She told them her cousin was a good person.
"They murdered him," she said. "They treated my cousin like an animal."
Afterward, she said her entire family appreciated everyone who came out.
"We come from a praying family," she said.
She said her cousin came from a good family and that "they did good."
"I hope he gets justice," she said. "He was a good kid. He was no way a bad kid."
Marchers head to Buchtel high school from Grace Park in Akron
In the evening, another protest formed, beginning at 6 p.m. at Grace Park off Perkins Street in Akron.
Marchers first walked to Buchtel Community Learning Center on Copley Road, where Walker had attended high school, and shared a moment of silence led by activist Winchester and Walker family members, including Demetrius Travis Sr., Walker’s cousin.
Travis, who said he was “heartbroken” after seeing the police bodycam video of Walker’s shooting, said instead of thinking, “What would Jesus do?” in challenging situations, he now thinks, “What would Jayland do?” as a testament to Walker’s character.
More: 'He was outgunned, outmanned.' Akron leaders condemn shooting of Jayland Walker
Leaving Buchtel, marchers walked down Packard Drive to Lawton Street, near where Walker’s grandmother lives, held their fists in the air and paused for another moment of silence.
Jae Woods spoke at Sunday’s rally about why he doesn't celebrate the Fourth of July.
“Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, but we aren’t celebrating our freedom because we are never free. Tomorrow’s freedom celebrates the Caucasian people.”
Contact Beacon Journal reporter Molly Walsh at mwalsh@gannett.com; Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com; and Jim Mackinnon at jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron police in riot gear called downtown as Jayland Walker protests escalate