Grand Jury Declines to Indict Akron Police Officers in Fatal Shooting of Jayland Walker

A special grand jury in Ohio has declined to indict the Akron police officers who fatally shot Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, dozens of times after a car chase and foot chase last year.

The Summit County grand jury deliberated over the June 27 incident, which began after officers tried to pull Walker over for an alleged traffic violation. The panel was deciding whether or not to bring charges against eight Akron police officers — seven of them white — in connection with the fatal shooting.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Monday that the grand jury concluded the officers were legally justified in their use of force. Yost said Walker had shot at police from his vehicle during the car chase and had made a motion during the foot chase that officers interpreted as threatening, leading to the shooting.

“The grand jury officers were legally justified in their use of force,” Yost said. Police said a gun was found in Walker’s vehicle after the shooting.

The decision not to indict the officers has sparked outrage among Walker’s family and the local community. They have called for an independent investigation into the incident and for the officers to be held accountable for Walker’s death.

The decision not to indict the officers has also raised questions about the use of deadly force by police and the lack of accountability for officers who use it. The incident has sparked a larger conversation about police reform and the need for greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement.