A black man has died after being shot at least 60 times by police during a traffic stop, sparking protests.
Jayland Walker was pulled over early Monday morning for a minor traffic violation according to lawyers representing his family.
However, the interaction in Akron, Ohio, USA, ended fatally with the 25-year-old being shot dead in a parking lot.
This sparked days of “Justice for Jayland” protests which led to local police chief Steve Mylett and mayor Dan Horrigan announcing they would release body-camera footage from the incident.
A family lawyer, who has seen the footage, said police officers fired "an unbelievable amount of gunfire" and compared it to a "whole brick of fireworks going off".
Jayland’s grieving family has been left waiting for answers but police chief Mylett said he would meet with them before the release to let them see the bodycam footage, officials said.
The incident occurred on June 27, when Akron officers attempted the traffic stop around 12.30am local time.
Police said the driver did not stop, and claimed officers reported a firearm was discharged from the suspect vehicle.
Jayland then allegedly fled from the car whilst it was still moving, leading to a foot pursuit.
Police said: "The suspect ran northbound into a nearby parking lot. Actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them.
"In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect."
Bobby DiCello, one of the lawyers representing the family, said in a press briefing Thursday: "How these events took place leaves us with many, many, many questions”.
One key question revolved around what police did, or didn’t do, to de-escalate the situation, he said.
There were eight officers involved in the shooting, but it is not known how many fired their weapons and it has been reported more than 90 shots were fired.
Preliminary medical examiner records reviewed by WEWS on Friday showed that there were more than 60 “defects” on Walker’s body.
It went on to report it is thought these may be the gunshot wounds. There were multiple wounds across Jayland's face, abdomen and upper legs.
The Akron Beacon Journal spoke to Mr DiCello who has watched the body cam footage. Ahead of its release he has urged the community not to react with violence when it was finally made public.
Speaking to the local outlet, he recalled the footage and said: “The officer bails out of his car and you see Jayland run, as if he were a football player running for the end zone.
“He's out there by himself running across the parking lot and within seconds a hail of gunfire. It sounds like a package, a whole package, a whole brick of fireworks going off.
“You see smoke ... and you see an officer actually drop his clip and reload and in the time that it takes him ... he reloads and in that time the firing is done. I think the firing happens in about six seconds. It was an unbelievable amount of gunfire.”
Officers administered first aid but Jayland was pronounced dead at the scene and medical examiner records show he was found on his back on the pavement in handcuffs, and a gun was recovered inside his car.
The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is conducting an investigation.
In a joint statement, Mayor Horrigan and Chief Mylett said: "We have every confidence in the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation to conduct a thorough, fair, and honest investigation.
"We will cooperate fully with that investigation and have made it a top priority for our staffs. As a city, we are committed to this process and trust that it will yield a fuller understanding of this incident."
But, Jayland's family are demanding answers and clarity around what happened. Ken Abbarno, another lawyer for Walker’s family, told reporters: "What's unfortunate … is portraying Jayland as the reason this happened.
“That's spin, that's protection, and that's designed for a specific reason. We will learn in the coming days the real truth of what happened."
Walker, a DoorDash driver, had no criminal record, the family's lawyers said and was described as a “sweet young man” by his aunt.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Lajuana Walker-Dawkins told reporters Thursday: "He never caused any trouble. We don't know what happened, and we'd like to know. For the mother, the sister, the whole family and the community."
In the aftermath of the shooting, the city cancelled a Fourth of July festival scheduled to run Friday through Monday.
