AKRON, Ohio — There are new details about what Akron police officers knew about Jayland Walker's car before the chase that led to eight officers opening fire on the 25 year old.
News 5 Investigators also asked an expert about gunshot residue testing after we learned the Summit County Medical Examiner’s office did not test Walker’s hands.
Walker was shot and killed by Akron police last month.
His autopsy released last Friday showed 46 entrance wounds or graze injuries.
Case Western Law School Associate Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway says she isn’t surprised the county stopped testing for gunshot residue, calling it unreliable.
“We know that gunshot residue is easily transferable, easily misinterpreted and has led to the wrongful conviction of individuals across our country,” said Bell Hardaway.
The medical examiner told News 5 last Friday that gunshot residue testing can detect specific particles related to a gun discharge, but results are not conclusive as to whether someone fired a gun.
“He was handcuffed and at the moment where he came into contact with police officer’s uniforms, hands and their handcuffs, there is a possibility that it may have shown the presence of gunshot residue,” Bell Hardaway said.
The Attorney General’s Office sent us its trace evidence submission policy, which went into effect in January 2020.
The policy states BCI will test gunshot primer residue test kits from shooting subjects only. Trace evidence testing will not be performed under certain circumstances, including on gunshot residue samples from objects like vehicles. This policy would apply to officer-involved shootings.
You can read the full policy here.
Bell Hardaway says whether Walker fired a gun in his car will not explain why eight officers chased Walker and shot him with nearly 50 bullets either wounding or grazing the 25-year-old man.
“That use of force, that decision making the lack of command of a pursuit of Mr. Walker, has led to this tragedy,” said Bell Hardaway.
News 5 Investigators also uncovered what officers knew before the chase.
“They weren’t chasing him just because of an equipment violation,” said Akron FOP President Clay Cozart.
Cozart says the attempted stop and chase on June 27 wasn’t the first time officers encountered the car that same night.
“Followed it on Tallmadge Avenue almost the same route as the chase occurred,” Cozart said.
Cozart says the same officers who tried to pull over Walker first spotted his car just minutes earlier near Howard and Tallmadge and discovered the car had been in a pursuit the day before in New Franklin.
Cozart said the officers ran the plates and let the car go at the Tallmadge entrance ramp to Route 8.
“When they allowed that vehicle to enter Route 8 and let that vehicle go not wanting to stop him for just that information and just the equipment violation,” Cozart said.
Cozart said the officers returned to the Howard and Tallmadge area, a known high crime spot, where a homicide happened outside a bar about a week before Walker’s shooting.
“When they returned, that vehicle also returned, so that raised their suspicion,” Cozart said.
Akron police say officers heard shots while chasing Walker’s car on Route 8 and ODOT cameras captured what was believed to be a muzzle flash.
So where is Walker’s car, a key piece of evidence?
“I think the car was returned to the family,” said Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett during Monday’s news briefing.
The Ohio Attorney General’s office tells News 5 Investigators that BCI’s crime scene unit would have processed the car and it was released back to Akron.
BCI isn’t sharing any further details in the active case.
“They made a decision based on their observations, their perceptions and they acted within the law and they acted within their experience and their training,” Cozart said.
News 5 Investigators reached out to Akron police about the information released by the FOP president about the first sighting of Walker’s car.
We also reached out to the Walker family attorney but have not heard back from either.
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