Monday 4 July 2022 04:27 PM Akron mayor issues state of emergency and cancels 4th of July celebrations ... trends now
The mayor of Akron issued a state of emergency and canceled Fourth of July festivities after Ohio cops unleashed a wave of tear gas on protesters who gathered outside of the city's main courthouse on Sunday night.
Several hundred protesters marched in the city in the hours after the Akron Police Department released the bodycam footage showing the shooting death of 25-year-old Jayland Walker.
Walker was killed after being shot at least 60 times by Akron cops following a traffic stop on June 27.
Riot police used tear gas in response to a protester who was taking down barriers that were set up outside of the police headquarters. Authorities responded by coming out in 'full riot gear,' reports WKYC.
While fleeing the tear gas, protesters began driving their cars on the sidewalk to get around snowplows parked in the road to block off the high street - and some protesters launched smoke bombs in the streets, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.
One protester began breaking the windows of several snowplows whilst a row of dumpsters was also pictured on fire, although there does not appear to be any major damage to property in the city.
A man gestures toward troopers in riot gear as police deployed tear gas and stun grenades to clear the area around Akron City Hall and Akron Police Station during a protest over the killing of Jayland Walker, shot by police, in Akron on Sunday
Demonstrators face troopers in riot gear as police deployed tear gas to clear the crowd in Akron on Sunday
Troopers in riot gear and police officers deployed tear gas and stun grenades to clear the area around Akron City Hall and Akron Police Station on Sunday
One protester, who goes by the moniker Comrade Ohio on Twitter, tweeted a video showing a dumpster on fire in the city. The dumpster is located close to the police headquarters
ComradeOhio also shared clips of tear gas being deployed during Sunday's disturbances
Riot police are pictured gathered in Akron on Sunday evening
Jayland Walker, 25, was shot dead by police in Akron, Ohio after officers tried to stop him for a traffic violation
WKYC's Neil Fischer said that police used 'at least a dozen' tear gas cans on protesters which resulted in many of the gathered crowd leaving the area. Fisher said that you could smell the tear gas in the air more than 15 minutes after it was used.
Fellow WKYC reporter Emma Henderson tweeted: 'Tear gas is flowing. We were well over a block away from where it was fired and it's in our noses, eyes and throats. Protesters are finding each other water and moving away.'
One protester, who goes by the moniker Comrade Ohio on Twitter, tweeted a video showing a dumpster on fire in the city.
The dumpster is located close to the police headquarters, reports WKYC.
He tweeted: 'City gonna burn. Tear gas deployed. Justice for Jayland Walker. Abolish APD. They are flying the blue line flag. Come downtown y'all. We need more people.'
Following the release of the bodycam footage showing the shooting of Walker, the Fraternal Order of Police's Akron Lodge #7 said that the car being driven by the victim was involving a 'felony fleeing police chase' the previous morning.
That chase took place just north of Akron in Franklin Township.
The press release adds: 'We believe the independent investigation will justify the officers' actions, including the number of shots fired. The decision to deploy lethal force as well as the number of shots fired is consistent with use of force protocols and officers' training.'
The Akron NAACP held a rally and march in downtown Sunday after police released the body camera footage. Sunday marks the fourth day of protests calling for accountability and transparency within the Akron Police Department.
The protest that took place outside of the courthouse and the police headquarters was not part of the NAACP march, reports Cleveland.com.
The crowd outside of the courtroom tweeted: 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, these racist cops have got to go.' According to Cleveland.com, many from the NAACP march eventually joined the protest outside of the police station.
A woman stands in front of troopers in riot gear during the protests in Akron on Sunday night
Troopers in riot gear watch as demonstrators gather outside Akron City Hall to protest the killing of Jayland Walker, who was shot by police, in Akron on Sunday
Police officers in riot gear watch as demonstrators gather outside Akron City Hall to protest the killing of Jayland Walker in Akron
Demonstrators face troopers in riot gear as police deployed tear gas and stun grenades to clear the area around Akron City Hall and Akron Police Station during a protest over the killing of Jayland Walker, shot by police, in Akron on Sunday
One woman was quoted by the website as saying over a megaphone: 'I didn't know him, but I feel y'all pain. I want y'all to know, this thing is trending everywhere, Nigeria, Germany. We can't let this keep happening to us. My heart goes out to all of [those] getting killed in these streets. It ain't right, we need to stand together.'
During that woman's speech, she said that she refused to buy her son a toy gun because she was afraid that police officers would mistake it for a real gun.
An armed member of the Black Panthers told 19 News on Sunday: 'That was murder. They [police] lying. They shot him while he was running. He was running
