Protests in Akron, Ohio took place last night for the police shooting death of Jayland Walker. The protest occurred one day after the lifting of a nighttime downtown curfew.
RELATED:Akron Police Release Body Cam Video In Brutal Fatal Shooting Of Jayland Walker
According to CBS news, Breonna Taylor’s aunt, and Jacob Blake’s father were taken into custody. As we previously reported, Blake, who is a Black man, was left paralyzed after being shot seven times by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August of 2020. Twenty-six-year-old Taylor, a Black woman, was fatally shot in Louisville, Kentucky as officers ran into her apartment on March 13, 2020, during a raid.
Videos started to surface online of Blake Sr. and fellow protesters being assaulted by Akron authorities during the protests for Jayland Walker. Blake Sr. was reportedly charged with riot, resisting arrest, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct, according to documents citing Akron Municipal Court records. Court records also revealed that Taylor’s aunt, 41-year-old Bianca Austin, was charged with riot, disorderly conduct and failure to disperse.
As we previously reported, police officers murdered a young unarmed black man named Jayland Walker. The 25-year-old was a doordash driver who has never been arrested or in trouble a day in his life. According to Fox8News, Walker was pulled over for a traffic stop when 8 police officers, 7 of which were white unloaded a staggering 90 bullets at Walker, shooting him at least 60 times in his face, chest, legs, back, and feet.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan and Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett issued a joint statement offering sincere condolences to those who knew Walker.
“We know that no police officer ever wants to discharge their service weapon in the line of duty. And anytime they must, it’s a dark day for our city, for the families of those involved, as well as for the officers. Tragically, we are once again faced with a young man, with his life before him, gone too soon. Every single life is precious, and the loss of any life is absolutely devastating to our entire community. Our prayers are with Jayland Walker’s loved ones, and we offer our sincere condolences to all those who knew him. Our thoughts are also with our Akron police officers and their families.
We want to reassure our citizens that more information will be coming in the following days, including the body-worn camera footage that recorded this incident. We are keeping our promise to the community, understanding that there can be no trust without transparency and follow-through on commitment.