AKRON, Ohio — In one week, Akron City Council must vote on the city’s Citizens’ Police Oversight Board.
Voters passed Issue 10 back in November after outrage over the deadly police shooting of Jayland Walker last summer.
Now, council has a big task on their hands to select who will serve, but it comes with some hesitation about one candidate.
“I love my community, and I really want us to be able to put all of this sort of what I kind of think in my mind is nonsense aside, because I'm not really understanding the controversy,” said Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board candidate, Imokhai Okolo.
Akron City Council must soon decide if Okolo should serve on the City’s Citizens Police Oversight Board.
But it comes with some hesitation from council members like Ward 6 Councilman Brad McKitrick.
He is concerned about negative comments regarding police Okolo made on social media.
“My opinion, personally, is it should be an impartial objective. People that are on this board that come from a variety of backgrounds but are able to listen to the facts and make a decision without a bias starting into it,” said McKitrick.
Several council members, like Linda F.R. Omobien, councilperson-at-large, came to Okolo’s defense during their last meeting.
“He also is a young black man. He represents the group of young men that are being killed in all of these violent episodes around the country by the police,” said Omobien.
Okolo admits he did make the posts.
“Constantly since I was, you know, in eighth grade, I've been seeing young black men being killed by the police on videos, on social media, on the news, and it's been constant thing, right. I, like all of my other sort of counterparts are frustrated, are frustrated and angry with what's been going on.,” said Okolo.
Councilmembers are also raising concerns about Okolo’s voting record and whether that disqualifies him from serving on the board.
“We always look at two things: residency and voting record. Me personally, I wasn’t on that committee, but I heard that was part of the concern out there. But this is a standard operating procedure for this council,” said at-large vice president, Jeff Fusco.
“Most people just kind of assume that Ward five cuts through the middle of the city, including Downtown. And I just kind of thought that I lived in Ward five,” said Okolo.
Akron’s Fraternal Order of Police President Clay Cozart declined to comment on this process at this time because he says the union hasn’t been presented the final parameters on how this will work.
Council will vote on the nine-member board at their next meeting on Monday, Feb. 27.
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