US police officers who killed unarmed Black man will not face charges, grand jury decides

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) - A grand jury in the Midwestern US state of Ohio declined to indict eight police officers who shot an unarmed black man 46 times during a traffic stop in June 2022, stating they were legally justified in doing so.

According to the Ohio State Attorney General's Office, the police officers were found to be justified by a jury on Monday in the case of the death of 25-year-old Jayland Walker by police after he was stopped in traffic last year in the city of Akron.

A video shared by the Akron City Police Department showed the officers firing a barrage of bullets at ​​​​​​​Walker, a driver for the DoorDash food delivery service, early on June 27, as he was trying to run from them after allegedly refusing to stop his vehicle when they tried to pull him over for unspecified traffic and vehicle violations, which led to a car chase.

As he was being pursued, he discharged a firearm while driving, said police.

In a news conference on Monday announcing the decision, Ohio Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said that the Akron police officers were unaware that Walker's pistol was still inside the car when he fled on foot, and that he made a menacing gesture before being shot.

"Mr. Walker took at least one shot from his vehicle at the police, led them on a chase, and exited from his vehicle in a ski mask, ignoring multiple commands by officers to show his hands and to stop," Yost said, adding that there is no conclusive evidence as to where he was pointing his gun.

The city’s mayor has urged protesters of the decision to do so peacefully. Walker’s family has urged a Justice Department investigation of the shooting death.