Demonstrators hold “Justice for Jayland” signs as they gather outside Akron City Hall to protest the killing of Jayland Walker, shot by police, in Akron, Ohio, July 3, 2022.
Matthew Hatcher | Afp | Getty Images
Officials on Monday set a 9 p.m. curfew for downtown Akron, Ohio, and canceled a fireworks show in the wake of protests over the police killing of Black motorist Jayland Walker.
Mayor Dan Horrigan said the action was necessary due to the threat of violence and property damage in the northeast Ohio city’s downtown district.
Police on Sunday released officers’ body camera footage of the June 27 shooting and Horrigan praised protesters for their initial “peaceful” demonstration that “did not escalate to violence and destruction.”
“However, as night fell and others began to join, the protests became no longer peaceful,” he said in a statement. “There was significant property damage done to downtown Akron.”
The mayor said small businesses up and down Main Street were damaged and the city “cannot and will not tolerate the destruction of property or violence.”
“In light of the damage that has occurred and in order to preserve peace in our community, I have declared a state of emergency, implemented a curfew and canceled the fireworks which were scheduled for tonight,” Horrigan added.
Downtown Akron is now subject to a curfew between 9 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the mayor’s executive order.
The curfew area is bordered by State Route 59 (also known as Perkins Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) on the north, Interstates 76 and 77 on the south, State Route 8 on the east and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the west.
Fourth of July fireworks which had been scheduled for downtown Akron, at the Patterson Park Sports Complex, and at the Akron Fulton Airport were canceled.
Eight police officers, now on administrative leave, shot Walker after he jumped out of moving car, officials said.
The officers reportedly fired dozens of shots and Walker’s loved ones have questioned why such overwhelming deadly force was used. A gun was found in Walker’s car but not on his body when officers fired the barrage of fatal shots, police said.
