AKRON, Ohio — For the first time since 25-year-old Jayland Walker was shot and killed by Akron police, we’re hearing from the eight officers who pulled their triggers that night. The recordings are part of the investigative files released by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office following a grand jury’s decision not to file criminal charges against the officers involved in the shooting.
The recorded interviews with the officers are audio-only and do not include the officers’ names. Both Attorney General Dave Yost and Akron’s police chief have refused to name the officers involved in the deadly shooting.
But those recordings give new insight into what those officers told investigators about the night of June 27 and the impact the shooting has had on them.
"Nightmare."
"Shock."
"Eerie."
Those are the words used by Akron police officers explaining the chase, shooting and aftermath of the deadly encounter between police and Jayland Walker just after 12:30 a.m. on June 27, 2022.
On recorded interviews, officers told BCI investigators they spotted a 2005 Buick Century with a cracked taillight and burned out license plate light as it drove on Tallmadge Avenue.
It was the second time officers saw the car in 10 minutes, and a note on the officers’ in-car computer said the same car had driven away from New Franklin police the night before.
The officer behind the wheel of the patrol car told investigators he tried to stop the Buick as it headed toward Route 8, but the driver kept going.
“Most likely the pursuit would end quickly because the highway’s not a safe place to chase cars,” said the man, identified only as Officer 1 on the recording.
But police told investigators what happened next changed everything.
Officers said they saw and heard what they believed was a gunshot come from the driver’s window.
A second officer inside the patrol car at the time told investigators he was shocked. His voice cracked with emotion.
“I just remember thinking to myself, like did this really just happen? Because this is a taillight,” said the officer.
The shot fired call went out across the police radio.
Soon, more officers joined the pursuit as it crossed the city and weaved into a neighborhood near Firestone Park.
The officer in the passenger seat told BCI investigators he was filled with adrenaline and fear.
“I just kept thinking to myself, like please God, let this person just get out and put their hands up,” the officer said. “Like just stop. Just let them stop.”
Eventually, police video showed Walker getting out of the car.
But it’s what police noticed next that officers said heightened the tension.
Walker was wearing a ski mask on the warm summer night.
“Especially in the middle of the night, they're trying to hide their face for some sort of reason,” an officer told investigators. “They don't want to be caught by the police. They're up to some sort of criminal activity.”
Video showed Walker run across an open parking lot as police chased behind.
Officers said they tried using Tasers to stop the 25-year old, but he kept running.
Then, police said Walker stopped, reached for his waist and turned toward officers.
“That was probably the most frightened I’ve been for my life and…my fellow officers,” said one of the officers, “I believe he was trying to shoot my officers or me.”
Investigators said eight officers began shooting. In all, prosecutors said police fired 94 shots.
Several officers told investigators they developed tunnel vision and lost focus of what was happening around them.
“I began shooting and watching the video; it freaks me out every time with how close I was to shooting (another officer), because I didn’t even realize he was standing in front of me,” Officer 1 told BCI.
“I believed I was going to get shot by another officer,” said a man identified only as Officer 5. “I don’t know how many were behind me, but I could hear their guns being fired and I could hear the crack of their bullets flying past my head.”
“It goes against all of our training to shoot behind somebody,” Officer 1 told investigators.
Somehow, no officers were shot. But Walker was hit 46 times and died.
One-by-one, all eight officers told investigators they believed the shooting was justified.
“I can’t believe what I had to do,” said a man identified only as Officer 7. “I didn’t want to have to discharge my firearm but the suspect presented himself as a deadly threat, so I was given no choice.”
But one man, identified as Officer 8 on the recordings, told investigators the decision to pull the trigger and take a 25-year old’s life was not something he was proud of.
“I can look at him and see a part of myself and that’s something I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life,” said the officer. “That I had to take somebody’s life.”
