AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – Preliminary report of the medical examiner’s office regarding fatal shooting involving officer Akron provides additional details from the early stages of the investigation, but what it doesn’t show is equally compelling.
The report is from an investigator with the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office, who arrived at the scene shortly after the incident occurred early Monday.
Police say officers tried to drag a 25-year-old man Jayland Walker for violating traffic laws. Instead, he led them on a chase that the family’s attorney said was not at high speed to a parking lot on WiIlbeth Road.
During the pursuit, officers reported seeing a gun muzzle flash from Walker’s vehicle.
When he stopped, Walker got out of his car and jogged with the officers chasing him.
“He turned towards officers and officers considered his behavior a threat and officers engaged Mr. Walker with a gun,” Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said.
Preliminary reports from the medical examiner’s office said at least twice Walker died of “multiple gunshot wounds” and injuries to the head, torso and legs.
It was rumored that officers fired up to 90 shots, 60 of which hit Walker, but the preliminary report from the medical examiner’s office did not predict how many shots were fired.
The report also did not say how many bullets are believed to have hit Walker.
The medical examiner’s office said it was still trying very carefully to determine which of his wounds were internal and which were external.
The report shows as many as 60 photos of the used bullet from the autopsy, but the medical examiner’s office told FOX 8 that the examiner will photograph the same bullet from different angles. each other so that many photos are duplicates.
The preliminary report also suggests that a weapon was recovered from a vehicle by the BCI, the main investigative agency, but it did not specify which car it was taken from.
Attorneys for the Walker family confirmed to FOX 8 that there was a gun in his car but they stressed that he had no intention of harming anyone else or himself at the time of the incident.
“We are not aware of any attempt or any contact with his family during this critical moment, the final minutes of his life. We know he’s in good spirits, we know he’s been in contact with the family, we know there’s no threat or fear in the family that he’s having a hard time or doing anything. what he shouldn’t do,” said attorney Bob Dicello.
The next line of the report also shows the BCI recalled pods, but it does not detail where the pods were recalled.
SkyFOX video of the scene shows dozens of traces of evidence in the parking lot after the shooting.
Among other intriguing details from the preliminary report is that Walker was found with a “tactical bouquet” on his body. There were no further reports, but Lieutenant Michael Miller confirmed that the tourniquets are suitable for most Akron police officers to carry with them.
During a press conference on Thursday, Walker’s aunt Lajuana Walker said that her grandson, “is a sweet young man. He never caused any trouble. We don’t know what happened and we want to know.”
Dicello said Walker was a Door Dash employee who worked at Amazon at one point where he had no criminal record other than a traffic ticket.
The medical examiner’s preliminary report also revealed that he had no fingerprints on file.
Although an autopsy has been conducted, the medical examiner’s office said the final report has not been completed.
The final autopsy report is expected to be completed in the coming days.