Thirteen police officers in Akron, Ohio, chased and killed a 25-year-old Black man, Jayland Walker after a minor traffic violation. As Walker ran away in fear, two officers fired tasers, and eight fired more than 90 rounds with over 60 bullets entering his body. According to video footage, "several officers emptied their clips into Walker as he laid on an asphalt parking lot." No traffic stop should end with someone losing their life. Join Walker's family in demanding justice and accountability for his murder.
Sign the petition to demand the Akron Police Department release the names of the eight officers involved in Walker's murder and fire them immediately. We must also demand the U.S. Department of Justice investigate!
According to the Walker family's attorney, Bobby DiCello, Walker was handcuffed after police had already sprayed him with bullets and killed him. When medical help arrived, Jayland's hands were still cuffed behind his back. "We'd like to know why he was shot down like a dog. Simple as that." said Lajuana Dawkins, Walker's aunt. "Why was that necessary?"
DiCello said Jayland's family wants justice. "Justice very simply looks like accountability and change," he said. "Accountability looks and feels like a genuine apology first from each officer, and then a statement from the city in the form of compensation for his loss -- the loss of his life. And ultimately, we have a change -- a real change, where there's a new set of policies and procedures in place not only for the city, but hopefully for the entire state of Ohio."
The local NAACP chapter led a peaceful protest at Akron City Hall that was eventually broken up by officers in riot gear firing tear gas into the crowd. More gratuitous violence in response to desperate calls for peace and safety.
More than 1,042 people have been shot and killed by police in the last year, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. Although Black Americans make up less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, they are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white people. Police brutality is a racist, systemic issue that requires accountability, justice, and change.
Sign the petition to urge the release of the names of the eight officers involved in Walker's murder, fire them, and demand the U.S. Department of Justice investigate!
