AKRON, Ohio — Nearly a year after the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker, the process to seat a grand jury is expected to start Monday. Once seated, the grand jury will decide if there is probable cause for the officers involved to be criminally charged.
Bobby DiCello, the attorney representing the Walker family, issued a statement regarding the grand jury process. You can read the full statement below:
Today an Akron grand jury began its process of determining whether the officers who gunned down Jayland Walker last summer will be held criminally accountable for their actions. As part of that process, as Ohio law allows, the officers will be invited to testify before the grand jury on their behalf. Keep in mind that if any other Akron citizen was accused of a crime, they would not necessarily be afforded that same privilege. Simply put, it's a process that favors the officers.
And against the backdrop of that process, the city is boarding up windows and bracing for violence. Why? Because the City of Akron doesn't trust a significant portion of its citizens. It has decided that if there's going to be violence, it will come from people who are sick and tired of a system that has ignored them and injured them for generations. City leadership doesn’t understand where that anger comes from. It doesn’t want to have that conversation because deep down, it simply doesn’t care what they are going through.
Today the family of Jayland Walker urges you to be mindful of how important it is that in America, everyone has equal access to justice and a fair process. They are not advocating for anything more than that. Unfortunately, this process is already stacked against them, but they will continue to fight for the justice that they and Jayland deserve.
Walker, 25, was shot and killed by the eight officers on June 27, 2022, following a chase where authorities say Walker opened fire while driving away from police.
An autopsy later revealed the officers shot Walker nearly four dozen times. Twenty-six bullets were recovered from his body.
Body camera footage of the shooting showed Walker running from officers moments before he was shot. Authorities say Walker's actions after he left his vehicle "caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat," prompting them to open fire. Walker was unarmed when he was shot while fleeing from police. Police later found a gun in Walker's car.
Judi Hill, with the Akron NAACP, keeps in touch with the Walker family and believes the officers should face charges.
"I've not had a family (member) of mine killed. I can only imagine what they're going through," Hill said. "I don't understand the justification in any way, shape or form of that many bullets in one human life."
Walker's death reverberated through the Akron community as residents took to the streets the following days and weeks, protesting against police violence and brutality.
"The trauma right now in our city, I believe, is at an all-time high. However, at the same time, I think this type of event can bring about some of the understanding that we need in order to kind of move forward," said Kemp Boyd, executive director of Love Akron.
On July 4, 2022, the city issued its first curfew to curb the protests. People from around the country traveled to Akron in support of Walker, and multiple individuals were arrested during the protests— including the family members of others who have died by police violence.
The names of the eight officers involved in the shooting have never been released. Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said the names would only be given out if criminal charges are filed.
RELATED: Akron prepares as grand jury expected to convene in Jayland Walker case
Watch more about the grand jury process in the player below:
The Ohio Attorney General's Office said it hopes to present all of the evidence in the case to the grand jury by Friday.
Once the grand jury is seated, the nine-member panel of individuals randomly selected from the county’s list of registered voters will examine evidence and testimony collected by Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, whose agents led the investigation into Walker’s death. Instead of determining guilt as if it were a criminal trial, the grand jurors will be asked to determine whether probable cause exists for the officers to be criminally charged.
The officers could choose to testify before the grand jury, but attorneys say if they did appear, it would be without their lawyers.
Dr. David Licate, a criminal justice studies professor at the University of Akron, believes statements the officers gave the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be crucial.
"Usually, that's pretty quick after an event occurs, a use of force event, that officers will be separated and they'll give their statements," Licate said.
The grand jury process is secret, so we don't know who will testify and all the evidence that will be presented. But Licate says that the grand jury's decision could boil down to the question: Were the officers' actions objectively reasonable?
"Basically you're putting yourself in the shoes of the officers in the context of that shooting. At that time, if you were in the shoes of those officers making those decisions, was it reasonable to use force?" Licate said.
The grand jury could issue a "no bill," meaning it chose not to indict, or it could indict some or all of the officers.
"It's not about guilt or innocent," Licate said. "You can be indicted and not be guilty."
The grand jury's decision could come late this week or next week.
In anticipation of possible civil unrest in the city, Akron leaders have erected barricades and fencing around city hall and the Summit County Courthouse, which is nearby. Some of the windows in city hall have been boarded up as well.
The city said these security measures were put in place to prevent any property damage from vandalism during possible protests stemming from the grand jury's decision.
Eufrancia Lash, with the organization 100 Black Men, is pushing for justice and peace.
"We know there's a lot of hurt. There's a lot of pain as a result of what has occurred, but we want to promote healing. We want to see justice," Lash said.
Related: City leaders, Akron residents brace for next steps in Jayland Walker case
Watch more about how the community is preparing for the grand jury's decision in the player below:
CLICK HERE to read continuing coverage of Jayland Walker.
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