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John,
UPDATE: On Monday, April 17, a special grand jury in Ohio declined to
indict the Akron police officers who shot Jayland Walker dozens of times
in June 2022.
After 10 months of public outcry, protests and demands of accountability
from Jayland’s loved ones and the community, the grand jury decided that
the officers were legally justified in their use of force.
Our hearts break for Jayland’s family and the Akron community. Jayland was
a young man with a family and a bright future, a human who deserved to be
treated with dignity. Instead, eight Akron police officers shot him more
than 40 times after a car chase and foot pursuit. [ [link removed] ]As we turn our
outrage into action, we need you to join us, John, in calling
on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene. Can we count on you?
WE NEED JUSTICE FOR JAYLAND WALKER
On June 27, 2022, Jayland Walker was pulled over for an alleged “traffic
and equipment violation.” Jayland wound up dead after eight Akron police
officers fired more than 60 shots. They huddled together for minutes with
their body-cam audio and video turned off. Jayland suffered 46 gunshot
wounds. The eight officers involved in the shooting were initially placed
on administrative leave and were reinstated by October 10.^2,3
In the months following, thousands of people gathered in the streets of
Akron, demanding justice and accountability. In August 2022, the Rev.
Raymond Greene Jr. of The Freedom BLOC hand-delivered nearly 60,000
petition signatures to the Akron Police Department, calling for the Akron
City Council to implement a series of policies that would re-envision
public safety. And in September 2022, more than 75 demonstrators calling
for police accountability had been arrested since Jayland’s murder in
June. Around the same time, the Akron City Council voted to approve Mayor
Dan Horrigan’s proposal to create a new civilian review board,
prioritizing the city’s labor agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police
over the rights and safety of their constituents. Every step of the way,
Akron’s elected officials have marginalized the needs of our communities.
They’ve taken no real steps toward implementing policies that would keep
our people safe from deadly police encounters.
[ [link removed] ]But we’re not giving up, John. We’re calling on the U.S.
Department of Justice to intervene. As a federal agency, it has the power
to implement real change.
[ [link removed] ]tELL THE doj: lAUNCH aN iNVESTIGATION INTO THE aKRON Police Department
The police murder of Jayland Walker is not an anomaly. We’ve been here
before.
* In South Carolina, Walter Scott was stopped by police for a
non-functioning brake light in April 2015 and was killed.
* In Michigan, Patrick Lyoya was stopped in April 2022 for improper
vehicle registration and was killed.
* Just outside Minneapolis, Daunte Wright was pulled over in April 2021
for minor traffic violations and an air freshener hanging from his
rearview mirror and was killed.
Police terrorism continues to target Black and Indigenous communities, and
police unions work to shield officers from any real accountability. When
people stand up to protest police brutality, cops douse them with chemical
weapons and beat them with batons. As Jayland’s family and neighbors take
to the street to demand justice, the Akron Police Department has initiated
a terror campaign against protesters. Too often, dehumanizing and
terrorizing Black people is what police do.
The murder of Jayland Walker and the violent police response in Akron are
just the latest cruel examples of what happens when elected officials
prioritize policing over investments that actually keep communities safe.
[ [link removed] ]That’s why we’re standing with The Freedom BLOC in our call for the DOJ
to take action. Will you join us, John?
WE NEED JUSTICE FOR JAYLAND WALKER
Together, we can honor the memory of Jayland Walker, protect Black
families from police brutality and create transformative change in Akron.
Until Justice Is Real,
Color Of Change Government Affairs Team
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References:
1. “Grand Jury declines to indict Akron’s police officers in killing of
Jayland Walker.” CNN.
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2. "Jayland Walker shooting: Here's what newly released Akron police
bodycam video reveals.” WKYC.
[link removed]
3. “Grand Jury declines to indict Akron’s police officers in killing of
Jayland Walker.” CNN.
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[ [link removed] ]ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.
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