CLEVELAND — During a trip to Cleveland on Wednesday to discuss his economic agenda, President Joe Biden addressed the Akron Police shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker early in his speech, saying the Justice Department and FBI are monitoring the case, and said if the evidence reveals any violations of federal law, the Justice Department "will take the appropriate action."
"I want to make one serious comment about the shooting and death of Jaylen Walker. The Justice Department of Civil Rights Division of the FBI field office in Akron, Ohio, and the local US Attorney's Office are closely monitoring and reviewing what happened," Biden said. "The FBI continues to coordinate with state and local partners to provide resources and specialized skill. If the evidence reveals potential violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take the appropriate action. And I just want you to know what is going to happen."
The shooting
On the night of June 27, Jayland was shot multiple times by Akron police after a traffic stop turned into a pursuit and a foot chase that ended in a parking lot near Firestone Park.
During a press conference with Akron police where the department released body camera footage of the moments leading up to Walker's death, authorities showed reporters a narrated video of specific moments during the pursuit and shooting, including, near the start of the pursuit, what looks like a muzzle flash captured on an ODOT camera that police say occurred while what sounds like a gunshot is captured on body-cam.
When Jayland's vehicle slowed down he jumped out of the passenger side door wearing a ski mask and fled from police. It was during this foot chase that Walker's movements "caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them," and they opened fire in response, striking him.
The entire incident lasted just minutes.
Police did not reveal how many times Walker was shot, but body-cam footage showed a seven-second burst of gunfire, which came from eight officers, that the medical examiner says produced 60 wounds.
As the body-cam footage was shown in real-time during the press conference, it was difficult to see the motion Walker made that caused police to feel threatened. Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett later said that still photos taken from the video of that moment reveal Walker making a forward motion.
“When you see it in real time, it’s hard to distinguish what Mr. Walker is doing,” the chief said.
Walker was unarmed when he was shot.
RELATED: Akron Police release 'heartbreaking' body-cam video of police shooting of Jayland Walker
You can watch raw body camera footage of the shooting in the player below. WARNING — The video contains graphic content.
A family responds
Jayland's sister, Jada Walker, spoke to ABC News about her brother's death on Good Morning America.
Read more here, or watch the full exclusive interview with Jada Walker, the sister of Jayland Walker, on "Good Morning America" in the media player below:
CLICK HERE to read continuing coverage of Jayland Walker.
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