Scenes like in the film, but they are brutal reality: Another police operation in the USA caused outrage in which a black man was shot. Police in Akron, Ohio, released several videos of the June 27 operation on Sunday. These show how 25-year-old Jayland Walker wants to flee a traffic stop.
After a car chase, Walker leaves his vehicle and wants to flee on foot, whereupon the officers shower him with a regular series of fire. They fire 90 shots; According to police, the victim’s body has 60 gunshot wounds.
At first it was unclear exactly how often he was hit, since it might also be the result of entry and exit wounds from bullets. According to reports, even those in uniform found themselves in the line of fire from their own colleagues. The victim’s family’s attorney, Bobby DiCello, was harsh with the police. “His body is riddled with bullets, his face is riddled with bullets (…) it’s an incredible sight,” he told the Beacon Journal.
Escape unarmed
Previously, there had been protests in Akron for a few days. Mayor Dan Horrigan called on the people of the city to remain peaceful. He called the police body camera footage “heartbreaking.” “It’s very hard to take,” he said at a press conference.
The police, on the other hand, defended their actions: Walker fired a shot himself, she says. He also wore a ski mask. The police first tried to stop him with Tasers and only then fired.
“It appears that Mr Walker turned to face the officer and there is a still showing his arm moving forward,” Police Commissioner Stephen Mylett said. “We do not know the exact number of shots fired.” Eight police officers were “directly involved”.
However, investigations by the police revealed that the victim was not carrying a weapon. A gun was found in his car.
Deadly chase instead of warning
Police Chief Mylett said he was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries. “A routine traffic stop that would likely result in a warning or a ticket turned into a chase.”
In the United States, deadly police operations of a similar nature occur with sad regularity. The case of George Floyd is representative of this: In May 2020, the African American died in a brutal police operation in Minneapolis. The case led to nationwide protests once morest police violence and racism. (SDA/kes)
