Jayland Walker case: Jury dismisses charges against US police officers

Although the death of black Jayland Walker shocked the American police in the hail of bullets, the American police officers directly involved in the operation do not have to answer in court for the time being. A jury of jurors on Monday denied charges against the eight police officers who killed the 25-year-old with dozens of gunfire in Ohio state last summer.

He fired at least one shot at officers during a car and foot chase in the city of Akron, prosecutor Dave Yost said Monday. A criminal case will not materialize, but Walker’s surviving relatives may still be able to claim compensation through civil proceedings.

There has long been a debate in the US about excessive police brutality, especially against black people. The Jayland Walker case now faced a private grand jury, which decided whether the facts presented by the prosecution warranted indictment.

“The grand jury — nine Summit County residents — concluded that the officers’ actions were reasonable,” prosecutor Yost said. Due to the amount of evidence, the investigation took more than a week, considerably longer than usual. He has started publishing the evidence online to create as much transparency as possible in a difficult case involving the police.

Walker’s death on June 27, 2022, sparked outrage across the country. The autopsy found 46 stab and abrasion wounds on the body, 26 projectiles were still lodged in the body. Injuries to the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, left kidney, intestine and several ribs were recorded. Walker’s family spoke of brutal and senseless police brutality, and the incident sparked protests in Akron.

According to police, Walker was going to be stopped at a traffic check, but he drove on. During the ensuing chase, Walker fired a shot from the moving car, prosecutor Yost said. He eventually fled on foot with a balaclava on his head. Officers initially unsuccessfully tried to stop him with electric batons, it said. The suspect then stopped in a parking lot and turned to the police officers. “However, because the officers did not know that Walker had left his gun in the car, they thought he would shoot them again,” Yost said. That’s why they shot him. (sda/dpa)