Akron, Ohio, prepares for BLM riots following Jayland Walker case

Downtown Akron, Ohio, businesses are shielding up for possible protests over the trial over the death of a young African-American man in 2022. This Monday, the special Akron grand jury began its review of the case to decide whether to indict the eight police officers implicated in the young man's death. The deceased, Jayland Walker, was shot 46 times after fleeing a roadblock.

Businesses in the Ohio city decided to pre-empt the verdict and covered their storefronts to protect them in case of violent riots. If the outcome is in favor of the eight police officers, Akron's small business owners fear scenes like those in 2022. In that year, there were intense days of violence and protests over Walker's death. In videos circulating on social media, it can be seen how they use wooden plates to avoid possible damage.

The main area affected is downtown Akron. As can be seen in the videos, the authorities decided to fence off the perimeters of the central police station and the courthouse. Street lights and monuments were also covered with wooden boards. According to the Akron city government, a "demonstration zone" has been created downtown with the help of long corridors of fencing and even concrete barricades to cut off avenues. According to the city's information portal, this is a measure to protect protesters.

The government of Akron maintains open channels of communication with its citizens to report live on the judicial process. The city's Chief Prosecutor Craig Morgan even held a live conference call to explain how the special grand jury process works and answer questions from citizens. Akron is home to 59,300 citizens of African-American origin, 30% of the total population. According to an Akron government spokeswoman, preparations for this court proceeding began last summer.

Serious disturbances in 2022

In July 2022, after the death of Jayland Parker, large groups of violent people took to the streets of Akron and chaos reigned for several days. Significant damage to businesses and public property was reported. The protests even caused the cancellation of the Fourth of July festivities and lasted more than three days, until local authorities decided to declare a state of emergency. A curfew was imposed in the downtown area that lasted until two weeks after the start of the protests.

The streets of Akron saw scenes of great tension, with large groups of armed individuals accompanying the protest processions. Law enforcement had to be fully deployed in the city, where demonstrators and supporters of the Black Lives Matters movement joined the protests. Many defund the police activists also participated in the protests, in addition to a variety of leftist groups. State police and units from other counties were needed to control downtown Akron.

The death of Jayland Walker

The special grand jury will review the body camera recordings of the eight officers, in addition to all evidence admitted in the proceeding. According to police accounts and dashcam footage, police officers were attempting to stop Jayland Walker's vehicle on the night of June 27 for a broken taillight and some flaws in his license plate. Walker then took off, speeding through the streets of Akron at 50 mph. The chase lasted several minutes, from the North Hill area to W. Wilbeth Rd., much further south. Police officials said at least one shot was fired from Walker's vehicle.

After the car chase, Walker abandoned his vehicle and took off running. The officers chased him on foot and used tasers to arrest him. The non-lethal weapons were ineffective, so the eight officers present drew and fired up to 46 shots at Walker, who died instantly. A firearm, a magazine for the weapon and a gold ring were found in Walker's vehicle. Police provided a bullet casing that matches the gun found in the vehicle, which was found on the roadway where Walker fled from the roadblock.