The autopsy of Jayland Walker, the unarmed Black man from Akron, Ohio who was shot by police fleeing after a car pursuit, shows he was struck 48 separate times by more than 90 rounds at him by eight police officers, Reuters reports.
After firing one or two shots at police during the pursuit, Walker jumped out of his car when it became disabled and attempted to run away. Officers exited their vehicles and fired excessively at Walker, who was hit five times in the back, as well as in his face, torso, legs, arms and pelvis.
No gun was found on Walker, although police say one was found in his car. A single bullet casing was found at the location where one officer said Walker fired from his car during the chase. Walker, 25, had no alcohol or drugs in his system when he was killed by police June 27th, according to the autopsy report. The autopsy did not include a test for gunshot residue on Walker’s hands or arms because Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa Kohler asserted that such tests are unreliable, although they are admitted into evidence in court to show an individual fired or handled a recently-fired gun.
Police claim officers fired at Walker as he ran away after abandoning his car following a police chase because the vehicle Walker was driving has a missing license plate bulb and a broken tail light. Officers on the scene claimed that Walker turned towards them as he was fleeing, prompting officers to shoot the man who seconds before they were yelling to stop.