Hundreds protest in US after release of video showing police killing black man
- Jayland Walker, 25, was killed on June 27 in Akron, Ohio after officers tried to stop his car over a traffic violation
- The incident was the latest death of an African-American citizen at the hands of police, events that have sparked mass protests over racism and police brutality
Several hundred protesters marched on Sunday in Akron, Ohio after the release of body camera footage that showed police fatally shooting a black man with several dozen rounds of bullets.
As anger rose over the latest police killing of a Black man in the United States, and authorities appealed for calm, a crowd marched to City Hall carrying banners with slogans such as “Justice for Jayland.”
The slogan refers to Jayland Walker, 25, who was killed on June 27 after officers tried to stop his car over a traffic violation, police said.
Sunday marked the fourth straight day of protests. Demonstrations were peaceful but for a tense moment in which some protesters got close to a line of police and shouted at them.
After the first rally, a crowd of people remained in the street protesting.
Fearing potential unrest, authorities in the city of 190,000 people moved snow ploughs and other heavy equipment near the police department to serve as a barrier.
After initially providing few details of the shooting, Akron authorities released two videos on Sunday: one that was a compilation of body-camera footage, body-cam still frames and voice-over, and another of the complete body-cam footage of the entire chase and shooting.
The voice-over explained that Walker did not stop and drove off. Police engaged in a car chase and said a shot had been fired from Walker’s car.