Ohio police officers cleared in shooting of black man Jayland Walker in Akron

The Akron, Ohio, police department said that eight police officers were cleared of wrongdoing related to the 2022 shooting death of Jayland Walker, a black man who was killed after shooting at police during a vehicle chase. 

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigated the shooting and prosecutors presented the case to a Special Grand Jury in April, and decided to not authorize any criminal charges against the officers involved, Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett said in a letter Tuesday. 

Following the jury's conclusion, Mylett said he directed his department to conduct an internal review of the incident "to determine if any agency policies or procedures were violated during the tragic event."

Walker, 25, was driving in June 2022 when he refused to pull over for a traffic stop and fired upon officers during the ensuing vehicle chase. He later fled the vehicle while wearing a ski mask and ignored multiple commands to show his hands and officers attempted unsuccessfully to Tase him. When Walker appeared to reach toward his waistband and raised his arm in a shooting posture, officers believed he was still armed and opened fire, killing him. A gun was later found in his vehicle, officials said.

Mylett said the department concluded that the officers who shot Walker did not use excessive force or violate agency policies when they opened fire. There were several potential violations of department policies in regard to the vehicle pursuit, but none of the violations were intentional, the chief also said.

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