CLEVELAND — Monday, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13) sent a letter to the Department of Justice urging an investigation into the "patterns and practices" of the Akron Police Department.
The letter comes just a week after a Summit County grand jury declined to indict eight Akron officers for the shooting death of Jayland Walker last year.
Sykes wrote in the letter that her request to the DOJ to investigate the department was "in order to enhance public safety and the community's trust in our sworn officers."
She added that her call for action wasn't an act of "retribution" against the department but that it was an "opportunity to implement more community-focused policing that serves the needs of every segment of this community."
"I am confident you share our ultimate objective of ensuring the citizens of our nation have confidence in their law enforcement agencies and that you will facilitate solutions-based tools and practices necessary to keep law enforcement safe and accountable and protect our communities so that we never have to be in this situation again," she said.
She continued, "Ultimately, my prayer is both the members of this community and the officers who serve them make it home safely to their families and loved ones at the end of the day. In order to do so, there must be significant efforts to build trust and meaningful relationships. The gravity of recent events has shown it is past time for an independent third party to facilitate discussion to help mediate disputes and place the community on a path to reconciliation and healing — a path that has been charted by the DOJ in numerous communities across the country.”
Walker, 25, was shot and killed on June 27, 2022, following a police chase in Akron that ended in a parking lot near Firestone Park. Police said they heard a gunshot from his vehicle during the pursuit, but he was unarmed when police shot him during the subsequent foot chase.
READ MORE: Jayland Walker grand jury declines to indict Akron police officers for fatal shooting
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