Content warning: police terrorism/brutality

UPDATE: October 2022

• Police Chief Steve Mylett announced that the officers on paid administrative leave are being reassigned to administrative duty. 

UPDATE: September 2022 

• More than 75 protestors have been arrested on charges related to protesting since Jayland Walker's shooting in June
• On September 26th, a majority of 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

UPDATE: August 2022 

• On August 24th, Rev. Raymond Greene from The Freedom Bloc hand-delivered nearly 60,000 petition signatures to the Akron Police Department  
• On August 25th, the Akron Police Department released extended footage revealing what happen after Akron police officers shot Jayland Walker 46 times; all 8 officers huddled together for minutes with their body-cam audio and video turned off, despite the Akron police chief’s claims that the officers were immediately sequestered.

On June 25, 2022 police in Akron, Ohio, brutally executed Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man. In solidarity with his family, the community, and The Freedom BLOC, we demand transparency and accountability from Akron’s officials with the following steps: 

• Protect protesters: Drop any charges against protesters, expunge their records, remove all fines and fees. Abolish the use of pepper spray and rubber bullets in Akron City Code section 35.17 

• Invest in non-police response to traffic safety: Police can’t be expected to respond to every crisis and incident, and too often they violently escalate nonviolent situations. Akron must fund an unarmed traffic enforcement unit, a separate unit to respond to mental health calls and programs that prioritize violence prevention. 

• Create community-led public safety solutions. Funneling more money into criminalization and policing, only puts more Black lives in danger. Budgets are moral documents and should reflect the needs of the community including education, housing, health care, employment, public transportation, and food security. 

Add your name now to demand justice for Jayland Walker and police accountability in Akron.

Here’s what we know: 

On June 27, Jayland Walker was pulled over for an alleged “traffic and equipment violation.” 

• 8 Akron police officers fired more than 60 shots 
• They huddled together for minutes with their body-cam audio and video turned off 
• Jayland Walker suffered 46 gun shot wounds
• All officers involved are on paid administrative leave 

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, Akron police murdered him. As we mourn and turn our outrage into action, this moment requires us to recognize a painful truth: 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 Michigan, Patrick Lyoya was stopped for improper vehicle registration. 
• Just outside Minneapolis, Daunte Wright was pulled over for minor traffic violations and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. 

All of these Black men were murdered by police during routine traffic stops. In a country where armed, militarized police are the response to every incident and crisis — and Black people are viewed as threats, not human beings — Black people aren’t issued tickets or citations; we receive death sentences. 

Police terrorism continues to target Black and Indigenous communities. And when people stand up to protest police brutality, cops douse them with chemical weapons and beat them with batons. Now, as Jayland’s family and neighbors take to the street to demand justice, the Akron Police Department has initiated a terror campaign against protesters. This is who the police are, and dehumanizing and terrorizing Black people is what they’re paid to 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. That’s why we’re standing with The Freedom BLOC to demand Akron’s elected officials: 

• Protect protesters. Drop all charges. Expunge their records. Remove fines and fees. 
• Create and fund non-police responses to traffic safety.
• Invest in community-led public safety solutions. Including reparations, housing, public transportation, food security, health care and community-controlled public safety alternatives. 

According to Mapping Police Violence, Black people are 4.9 times more likely to be killed by police than white people in Ohio. And when we protest police violence, we become the next target of police brutality. We must take action to end this vicious cycle. Together we can honor the memory of Jayland Walker, protect Black families from police brutality and create transformative change in Akron. 

References: 

1. Fatal Force: 1,025 people have been shot and killed by police in the past year (533 people so far in 2022). The Washington Post, 8 July 2022. 

2. Protesters deliver petition to Akron police station, Kristen Anzuini, Spectrum News, 24 August 2022. 

3.Jayland Walker case: Akron releases longer officer videos of shooting death, aftermath,Doug Livingston, Amanda Garrett, Akron Beacon Journal, 26 August 2022

4. Akron leaders, voters must decide between competing police oversight proposals, Abbey Marshall, Akron Beacon Journal, September 2022  

Here is the Petition:

Here’s the petition we’ll send to Akron’s elected officials: 

The execution of Jayland Walker and the ongoing persecution of his neighbors prove that too many cops regard Black people as inherently dangerous, which serves as tacit permission to treat them without humanity. The Akron Police Department has abused and weaponized its authority by terrorizing, murdering and violating the civil rights of Black people. That’s why I’m standing in solidarity with Color Of Change, The Freedom Bloc, Jayland’s family, and the Akron community to demand justice, accountability and safety. 

We are calling on you to take immediate action:

• Drop all charges against protestors, expunge their records, remove all fines and fees.

• Abolish the use of pepper spray and rubber bullets in Akron City Code section 35.17 

• Create and fund non-police response to traffic safety. Akron must fund an unarmed traffic enforcement unit, a separate unit that responds to mental health calls and programs that prioritize violence prevention. 

• Create a community-led civilian oversight committee. Prioritize investments in what keeps Black communities safe, including reparations, housing, public transportation, food security, health care and community-controlled public safety alternatives.

The violent, police-only response to the community outcry in Akron has proven to be dangerous to Black people, who already are impacted by this trauma and targeted by APD.

Akron deserves safety and Jayland Walker’s family deserves justice and accountability. We are calling on you to ensure a transparent public investigation and real policy action to prevent the police murder of Black people in your city. 

Sincerely, 

[Your Name]