Source: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
Tensions in northeast Ohio are raised this week as a grand jury ponders the decision of whether or not criminal charges should be filed against the eight police Akron officers involved in the death of Jayland Walker.
Last June, Walker, 25, was driving and being pursued by police when they claim he fired a gunshot. The report further alleged that when Walker finally stopped there was a gun on the passenger seat, though FOX 8 reports that he was described as “unarmed” by investigators.
Walker was then shot at least 46 times.
While there have likely been plenty of mental preparation for the grand jury’s decision, a special group of Akron residents has gathered to “pray for peace” in the city. They call themselves “Love Akron,” and they hope to quell the potential unrest that could be on its way.
From FOX 8:
“Jesus, we believe that you love the city more than you could,” one person could be heard praying, while holding a fence in front of the Summit County Courthouse.
“We’re praying first for comfort and peace for the Walker family, that’s first and foremost. We don’t ever want to forget the reason that we’re here, but also we’re praying for the leadership of our city, from the mayor to council to the grand jury,” said Pastor R. Stacey Jenkins, senior pastor of House of Prayer for All People.
To see the entire FOX 8 report, click here.
After Walker’s death, there were protests across downtown Akron, peaceful and otherwise. In preparation for what could be to come, several businesses, including the street level of Akron’s city hall, have boarded up their windows.
With no timetable for how long the grand jury could take to reach its decision, officials are hopeful that we’ll all know something within the next week or so.
Walker’s funeral featured an open casket in a move that harkened back to the funeral of Emmett Till. The funeral came after more than two weeks of vigils and protests demanding justice for the police killing that followed a pretextual traffic stop on the morning of June 27, 2022.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan declared the day of the funeral a day of mourning in the city, but law enforcement arrived at the Akron Civic Center — where the funeral was held — with riot gear and armored vehicles in apparent anticipation for the worst despite Walker’s family asking for peaceful protests.
Walker’s killing came weeks after police managed to arrest a white mass shooter without firing off a single shot following the slaughter of Black people specifically because of the color of their skin in Buffalo, New York. It also came days before a white domestic terrorist who killed at least seven people during a Fourth of July parade in Missouri was arrested alive without police feeling the need to fire their guns.
This is America.
SEE ALSO:
Jayland Walker’s Shooting Sparks Debate About Black Men Running From The Police
Akron Police Chief Fears ‘Mass Resignation Of Officers’ After Jayland Walker Shooting
Amid Jayland Walker Grand Jury For Police Shooting, Akron Residents ‘Pray For Peace’ was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
