Akron reacts to Jayland Walker grand jury decision with marches, protests: Updates

The Akron Police Department released a statement Saturday about its use of tear gas on Wednesday night and the subsequent stipulation that chemical weapons will not be used against non-violent protesters − saying protesters ignored several orders to clear the street and threw bottles at officers.

“Yesterday’s agreement stipulates that Akron police officers cannot use chemical irritants on nonviolent protestors, which has never been our policy or practice to begin with,” Police Chief Steve Mylett said in the statement. “The Police Department’s recent response on Wednesday, April 19 is in line with the agreement signed yesterday.

“The evidence supports the officer’s use of OC spray to disperse the crowd on Copley Rd. due to various objects being thrown at police officers,” he continued. “This department supports peaceful protest and will continue to do so.”

A video link attached to the statement shows bottles being thrown at police during the protest on Copley Road.

The Beacon Journal can't confirm the sequence of events in the video at this time.

Read the full article here.

Protests have popped up around Akron after a special grand jury decided Monday that the eight Akron police officers involved in the shooting death of Jayland Walker last summer would not face criminal charges.

The protest Wednesday evening blocking Copley Road was dispersed by Akron police and Summit County deputies using a chemical irritant and pepper spray. Protesters said that police acted without provocation, but police said Wednesday night that people were throwing objects before officers took action.

Akron agreed on Friday not to use tear gas, pepper spray and other types of force against protesters after a local group sued the city in federal court, saying it used excessive force in peaceful demonstrations.

Akron Bail Fund, a group that supports protesters, sought a temporary restraining order in U.S. District Court in Akron against the city at midnight Friday that forbade the city from continuing to use methods like tear gas against protesters.

Read that article here.

The Bail Fund did not respond to a message Saturday seeking comment on the police department's statement.

Here's the latest.

Protesters rally Saturday at Summit County Jail, downtown

Activists rallied Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of Community of Christ Church on Grant Street across from the Summit County Jail, saying they'd heard reports of abusive behavior toward imprisoned protesters.

A group of about 15 protesters peeled off from the jail and began marching up Grant Street with a handful of cars following behind them.

A spokesperson for the Summit County Jail did not respond to a request for comment.

Several hours later, a clutch of about a dozen protesters could be seen outside Canal Park, chanting and holding a large banner that read "Justice for Jayland."

Friday evening: Protesters gather at Hawkins Plaza, march in rain

More than 30 people on foot and several more in vehicles gathered in the rain Friday evening at Hawkins Plaza in Akron and made their way east down Vernon Odom Boulevard in a peaceful demonstration.

An organizer shouted, "Say his name," the crowd replying, "Jayland Walker!"

The group circled through a neighborhood before returning to Hawkins Plaza slightly less than an hour later.

Early Friday morning: Attorney seeks federal injunction against Akron for police use of force during protest

A Cleveland attorney who is representing several well-known activists arrested last July during protests of Jayland Walker's shooting has filed for a federal injunction against Akron for its use of force against people protesting the grand jury's decision not to indict the officers who fatally shot Walker. The injunction is being sought on behalf of the Akron Bail Fund.

Elizabeth Bonham filed the request in U.S. District Court at about midnight Friday and a telephonic hearing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Friday. Bonham is also challenging the suppression of First Amendment activity.

The Beacon Journal is seeking a response from the city.

Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett told the Beacon Journal on Friday that he can't discuss the details of the incident at Wednesday's protest at this time. "I am committed to getting accurate information to the public as soon as possible," he said.

Bonham is among the attorneys representing Jacob Blake Sr. and three other well-known activists who were arrested in Akron last July. Blake's trial in Akron Municipal Court resulted in a mistrial and the city plans to try him again. Blake's son was paralyzed in a police shooting in Wisconsin in 2020.

Read the full story.

Demonstrations Thursday in Akron

More than 20 protesters returned to Hawkins Plaza Thursday evening, less that 24 hours after a night of protests that ended with police deploying tear gas and pepper spray.

When encountering one of Akron police's squad cars, the group used the sidewalk and crosswalks to march in a square at the intersection of South Hawkins Avenue and Diagonal Road.

The protesters marched on the sidewalk in the area until abuut 9 p.m. before dispersing.

Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett reviewing bodycam video before commenting about Wednesday night protest

In a statement released Thursday evening, Mylett said he had received numerous requests for information from City Council members, residents and the media regarding the police action at Wednesday's protest on Copley Road, where some reported Akron police and Summit County Sheriff's deputies deployed chemical agents against a largely peaceful crowd.

"I am waiting on video footage from a few of our partner law enforcement agencies to help clarify someconfusion," Mylett said. "Before I explain what happened, I need to be sure of the timeline of events. If information is released prematurely and without the facts, that misinformation could cause irrevocable damage.

"As soon as I can confidently determine the exact circumstances of how last evening unfolded, I will make that information available to the public. If we made mistakes, we would improve upon them, and if the officers’ actions were reasonable, we would share that information as well.”

Read the chief's full statement below.

Freedom BLOC calls for ban on use of 'tear gas' in Akron

After Akron police and Summit County deputies deployed chemical agents at Wednesday night's protest on Copley Road in West Akron, the activist group Freedom Bloc called on the city to ban the use of "tear gas" in the city.

The group's leader is also calling for the eight police officers involved in Walker's death to be fired, while vowing to continue protests.

"I’m personally asking the Deputy Mayor Marco Sommerville and Chief Steve Mylett to call off his militia from torturing citizens and just do the right thing — fire these officers immediately before someone gets seriously hurt and more lawsuits get filed against our city," said the Rev. Ray Greene Jr., Freedom Bloc's executive director.

The group, along with other Black community leaders, has a long-standing list of demands for reform in the city.

More:Black community leaders demand change

Ward 4 Councilman Russ Neal was at demonstration when chemical agents were deployed by police

Ward 4 Akron City Councilman Russ Neal said he arrived at the Copley Road scene of Wednesday’s demonstration as chemical agents were being deployed. Neal said he spoke directly to Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett by phone and directly to those who organized the protest.

“You know, now that I've heard from the chief, I understand what the concerns were as far as how the the road was blocked," Neal said.

However, police and sheriff's deputies on scene appeared to have provoked the crowd, he said.

“The fact is that folks were in their own community and to have law enforcement show up with that much force when they protested just a week ago before in Highland Square, where there wasn't that kind of force – that just set everybody off on edge,” he explained.

March in Highland Square last week:Marchers take to the streets of Akron in protest of Jayland Walker shooting

“Tear gas and the pepper spray were released in the air, and you know that never just stays where you shoot it – It disperses through the whole crowd − it just made matters worse.

“If the reason why they said they sprayed is because people were going bricks and other things, I could understand it, but I didn't see any of that, so I can't speak to it. I haven't heard about anybody from the crowds there [throwing things].”

He said police and residents should learn from Wednesday night’s incident, but added “the community has a right to continue to protest."

“We have to understand it's all not going to be where the city has designated, even though I understand why we have a designated space, it's not just for the protection of property is also an even more importantly for the protection of protesters.

“But that being said, people were protesting in their own community. We have to give them that space as long as it's peaceful. And then we've got to communicate.”

Akron mayoral candidate Shammas Malik releases statement regarding Wednesday protest

Thursday afternoon, Ward 8 Akron City Councilman and Akron mayoral candidate Shammas Malik addressed the protest that took place Wednesday evening in a statement. He said a video showed "police using pepper spray, not in urgent self-defense, but in an almost casual way on a crowd that included children, spraying many people who had already left the road and were attempting to comply with police commands. This behavior is unacceptable.

"It appears that as police moved in on the protest, a handful of individuals threw water bottles and rocks at them. People engaging in violence should be arrested and charged, but it appears none were."

See his full statement in the Twitter thread below.

Akron mayoral candidate Tara Mosley releases statement regarding Wednesday protest

Thursday morning, Ward 5 Akron City Councilwoman and Akron mayoral candidate Tara Mosley released a statement saying Akron police declared the protest an "unlawful assembly" and that declaration "was their justification for deploying chemical weapons on the people of Akron. They pepper-sprayed them. They tear-gassed them."

"There are no reports of any injuries or property damage before the officers declared the assembly to be unlawful," the statement reads. "What, then, was unlawful about this assembly? The city claims that the officers issuedorders to disperse because 'officers were having bottles thrown at them from marchers.' But, from the available evidence — and there is much of it online — the protests were peaceful before the officers ordered the people to disperse. The people were calling for accountability. Nothing more, nothing less. The people were protesting the Jayland Walker decision. They were crying out for healing. They were standing up for their neighbors and community and families and children.

"This assembly was not unlawful; it was demanding to be heard."

Read her full statement below.

Windows broken in Highland Square, downtown Akron on Wednesday night

Windows were broken at three businesses in Highland Square late Wednesday.

Video from Beacon Journal partner News 5 Cleveland showed broken windows at Wally Waffle, IRIE Jamaican Kitchen and Chipotle.

News 5 also reported that the Evans building on Exchange Street in downtown Akron also had one window damaged overnight, noting that it was one of the few downtown buildings that wasn't boarded up.

A window at Canal Park, home of the Akron RubberDucks minor league baseball team, was also broken. RubberDucks spokesman Jimmy Farmer said one window was broken at 3 a.m. Thursday.

Read the full story.

Wednesday protest on Copley Road dispersed by Akron police, Summit County deputies

Akron police and Summit County Sheriff's deputies used chemical irritants and pepper spray to disperse a protest along Copley Road about 8:10 p.m. Wednesday after declaring the march to be an unlawful assembly.

The police action took place while at least 100 people and numerous vehicles took part in the march protesting the police shooting death of Jayland Walker. Protesters had blocked traffic at a few intersections for as long as 15 minutes.

Thursday afternoon, Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett told the Beacon Journal that he was waiting to review video from the Summit County Sheriff and Ohio State Patrol and will comment later.

Read the full story.

Akron police chief checks on downtown businesses Wednesday

Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett and Lt. Michael Miller visited businesses along Main Street Wednesday afternoon to check in with them in the aftermath of protests following Monday's special grand jury decision.

"He just asked if we were OK and I said, 'Yeah, we were fine, and that we were choosing to be open and that we prefer to be open but if there was any reason that we needed to close, we would,'" said Michelle Jaworski, who works at Chill Artisan Ice Cream downtown with her sons.

"I thanked him for coming in and he said if we needed anything to let them know," she said.

Chris Sedlock, owner of The Daily Pressed and co-owner of Twisted Tomato, said this was the first time he's met an Akron police chief in the 13 years he's been a bar owner in Akron. The windows at his businesses, which are in the same building, were boarded up in advance of Monday's decision after his Karma Kafe, which was formerly in the space where The Daily Pressed is, suffered damage during last summer's downtown protests.

"He just came in and wanted to reassure us that he has the downtown Akron businesses in mind and that he was available to us if we needed them," Sedlock said of Mylett.

Sedlock closed The Daily Pressed after 9 p.m. Monday after protesters in cars converged on Main Street. He's had regular business hours since.

"I said I thought they were doing a great job and you could tell that they were organized and that they have everything locked down and they're doing their best to break up and patrol," Sedlock said of the police.    

Akron Children's Museum closed through the end of the week

The Akron Children's Museum announced Wednesday that it would be closed through Sunday, April 23.

Protesters from Akron chant ‘Justice for Jayland’ at Cavs playoff game Tuesday

Protesters from Akron demanded justice for Jayland Walker at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Tuesday night during Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Demonstrators held a large banner aloft, chanting, "Justice for Jayland" during the game and later as hosts Campy Russell and Cayleigh Griffin broadcast their "Cavaliers Live" postgame show after the Cavs' blowout of the New York Knicks.

One of the protesters appeared to be Imokhai Okolo, an attorney and activist from Akron who had addressed a crowd earlier in the day before a march from First Congregational Church of Akron to the John F. Seiberling Federal Building downtown.

Okolo had been a nominee for the Citizens' Police Oversight Board but failed to win the supermajority of votes needed to be confirmed by Akron City Council, due in part to his social media post criticizing Akron police soon after Walker's shooting.

Demonstrations Tuesday in Akron

Several demonstrations took place throughout Akron on Tuesday, the day after it was announced that a special grand jury decided the eight Akron police officers involved in the killing of Jayland Walker last summer will not be criminally charged.

A Justice for Jayland Walker March, hosted by The Freedom BLOC, Akron NAACP, St. Ashworth Temple and Akron Urban League, stepped off around 2:40 p.m., chanting, "Whose streets? Our streets!" from First Congregational Church of Akron, 292 E. Market St., Akron.

The group of about 80 people marched west on East Market Street, toward downtown Akron. An Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter hovered above the marchers.

Tuesday demonstrations in Akron:'It is us that are dying day in and day out': Jayland Walker case prompts protests

Speakers included representatives from Walker's family and legal team, The Freedom BLOC, the Akron NAACP, the Akron Urban League, Michael Blake, Tamika Mallory, DaMareo Cooper and Imokhai Okolo.

There was a march on the University of Akron campus at 4 p.m. starting and ending at Coleman Commons, next to the Student Union and Clock Tower.

There was also a 6 p.m. prayer vigil hosted in the demonstration zone — which is located on High Street between East Bowery and State streets and blocked off with barricades to prevent vehicle traffic — led by Love Akron Executive Director and Chair of the Akron Citizens' Police Oversight Board Kemp Boyd.

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