A 25-year-old African-American man, killed by police in late June after fleeing a traffic violation in a northern US city, was shot 46 times, according to autopsy results released Friday.
His death, and the publication of a video of the police intervention, had provoked several days of demonstrations in Akron, this city of 190,000 inhabitants in northern Ohio.
Key findings from Jayland Walker’s autopsy were revealed Friday by the Summit County Coroner’s Office of Pathology, where Akron is located, and reported by the local Akron Beacon Journal.
“Several serious injuries”
Jayland Walker’s body has 46 gunshot wounds, including abrasions, and 15 gunshot wounds, according to Lisa Kohler of the Office of Medical Examiner, quoted by the newspaper. Twenty-six bullets were found in his body.
“We were unable to determine which bullet killed him,” the official said. “He had several serious injuries.”
Toxicology analysis revealed no traces of drugs or alcohol. Police say his officers attempted to arrest Jayland Walker on June 27 for a traffic violation, but Walker fired a gun from his vehicle window before fleeing on foot.
Eight police officers suspended for the duration of the investigation
A gun and magazine were found in his car, police said. As he fled, eight police officers opened fire on the 25-year-old man. They have been suspended pending investigation.
This incident recalls the deaths of other black men during interactions with the police, tragedies that sparked a major movement against racism and police brutality in the summer of 2020.
It was in particular the death of George Floyd, killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, that triggered the movement that led to demonstrations across the country.
Source: BFM TV
