Autopsy Concludes Akron Police Shot Jayland Walker 46 Times After He Tried To Kill Them

Akron, OH – The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Officer released an autopsy report on Friday morning that showed 25-year-old Jayland Walker was shot by police 46 times.

Summit County Medical Examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler gave a summary report of the autopsy she said she finalized on Thursday to reporters on July 15, the Associated Press reported.

“The autopsy determined that Jayland had 46 gunshot wound entrances or graze injuries,” Kohler said, according to ABC News. “The photographic record shows more than 46 labeled wounds because there are exit wounds, bullets beneath the skin and abrasions that were numbered for the purpose of identifying specific injuries.”

Kohler said it was impossible to know which bullet had killed Walker or the exact number of shots that were fired.

She said Walker “had several very devastating injuries that would cause death,” including gunshot wounds to his heart, lungs, and arteries, the Associated Press reported.

The medical examiner said he also had five wounds in his back but explained that it was impossible to say if Walker was shot as he was running away or if he turned as he was being shot.

Preliminary findings had indicated that Walker was shot more than 60 times.

Summit County Communications Director Greta Johnson said on Friday that it was “very possible” that one bullet had cause several different entrance wounds, the Associated Press reported.

Kohler said that toxicology report showed that Walker didn’t have any drugs or alcohol in his system when he was shot.

Initial media reports on the shooting classified it as a “routine traffic stop,” that ended with Walker being shot at least 60 times by the police officers who were chasing him.

However, police reports showed that a New Franklin police officer saw Walker’s vehicle with a broken taillight and no license plate a day earlier and tried to stop him, WJW reported.

But Walker refused to stop for the officer’s lights and siren and fled the scene.

The officer chased Walker but his supervisor ordered him to terminate the chase when it reached the New Franklin city limits, WJW reported.

Hours later, Akron police spotted Walker’s vehicle with its missing license plate and broken taillight but opted not to stop it.

But the information about the New Franklin officer’s chase had been uploaded into the law enforcement database and the Akron officers received an alert about it shortly after they failed to stop the vehicle, WJW reported.

The officers spotted the suspect vehicle again in the North Hill neighborhood at about 12:30 a.m. on June 27, shortly after they received the New Franklin police alert.

So they tried to pull over Walker’s vehicle, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Police said Walker fled onto Route 8 southbound and fired a gun at officers from his moving vehicle.

Forty seconds after the traffic stop was initiated, the officers reported that the suspect in the vehicle was shooting at them, WJW reported.

Walker got onto Interstate 77 and then exited into the Firestone Park neighborhood with officers still in pursuit, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

That was when the suspect jumped out of his car while it was still moving and fled on foot.

Bodycam video showed he was wearing a black ski mask when he dove from the vehicle.

Officers chased Walker into the parking lot of the Bridgestone Americas campus off East Wilbeth, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

“Actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them,” police said. “In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.”

Walker was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene.

Protests have plagued the city on a nightly basis since Walker’s death and an emergency curfew has been in place since the 4th of July.

On Thursday, Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said he had instructed officers to remove their name tags from their uniforms amid mounting threats against them.