Ohio grand jury declines to charge 8 officers who fatally shot Jayland Walker

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April 17, 2023

By David K. Li and Phil Helsel, NBC

Walker was killed in an encounter with police in Akron last year after officers tried to pull him over for an alleged traffic violation, sparking protests.

Demonstrators gather outside City Hall to protest against the police killing of Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio, on July 3.
Photo Credit – Matthew Hatcher

An Ohio grand jury declined to bring charges against eight Akron police officers — seven of them white — in connection with last year’s fatal shooting of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black motorist, officials said Monday.

The jury of three men and six women, which included two Black panelists, returned a “no bill” against the officers, authorities said.

“The grand jury concluded officers were legally justified in their use of force,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.

The special Summit County grand jury had been deliberating over the incident, which began June 27 after officers tried to pull Walker over for an alleged traffic violation, a darkened license plate light, authorities said.

The eight officers fired 94 shots at Walker in about 6.7 seconds, prosecutors revealed.

Yost called officer body camera video “especially grievous to watch” but said officers appeared to have the justification to use deadly force.

Continue reading about the grand jury’s decision.

The shooting of Jayland Walker impacted Akron Black residents.

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