Officers Who Fatally Shot Jayland Walker Will Not Face Charges, Grand Jury Rules

Jayland Walker, who was 25 at the time of his death, was shot at least 40 times by police. An Ohio grand jury declined to charge the officers involved.

April 17, 2023

The Akron, Ohio police officers who shot and killed Jayland Walker will not face state criminal charges.

A grand jury decided not to move forward with charges after concluding that the officers didn’t commit any crimes, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Monday.

Walker, who was 25 years old and had no past criminal history, was killed after eight officers fired 94 rounds at him this past June. At least 40 bullets hit Walker, who was handcuffed after he was shot dozens of times, CNN reports. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred after Walker was stopped for traffic and equipment violations, which amounted to a broken rear license plate light and a broken taillight. Walker is said to have refused to stop, fired a shot at police from his vehicle, and eventually fled on foot after a car chase.

“He reached for his waistband in what several officers described as a cross-draw motion, planted his foot and turned toward the officers while raising his hand,” Yost claimed. “Only then did the officers fire, believing Mr. Walker was firing again at them.”

A gun was not found on Walker but one was recovered from the vehicle he fled, authorities said.

In a statement released following the shooting, which sparked protests in Akron, NAACP President Derrick Johnson labeled Walker’s death a “murder.”

“This Black man was killed—struck more than 60 times by 90 fired bullets—for a possible traffic violation,” Johnson said at the time. “This doesn’t happen to white people in America. Why do police continuously target us like domestic terrorists? We are just trying to live our lives, and we are tired of being hunted like prey.”