AKRON, Ohio — Body camera footage from Akron Police officers in the shooting of Jayland Walker is being heavily scrutinized so 10TV spoke with a former police officer about this situation.
In the video, you can hear eight officers fire at Walker for at least six seconds. The initial autopsy report said Walker was hit more than 60 times.
On Tuesday, 10TV spoke with Dr. Kalfani Ture, a former Georgia Police officer, and current Assistant Professor that specializes in policing at Mount Saint Mary's University in Maryland and a Senior Fellow in the Urban Ethnography Project at Yale University.
"Watching this footage was so dramatic, I was almost paralyzed,” Dr. Ture said. “I am more than certain that if there ever was an example of excessive use of force, inappropriate use of force, particularly lethal force, this is a textbook example of that."
Body camera video that was released on Sunday shows Walker getting out of the car and running from police.
Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said still photos seem to show Walker going down to his waist area and turning towards an officer. Chief Mylett said a third picture captures a forward motion of his arm.
However, Chief Mylett said Walker was not armed when police shot him.
"Each officer independent of each other related that they felt that Mr. Walker had turned and was motioning and moving into a fire position,” he said.
But Dr. Ture said he had a different view of the footage.
"I do not see anything in the body camera that suggests that there was the assertive movement of even some gesticulation that was threatening,” Dr. Ture said.
Chief Mylett said there was ODOT video that was recovered from an area where police say Walker fired at officers. In the video, you can see a flash of light coming from the driver's seat of Walker's vehicle. Police said Walker fired gunshots at the cruisers.
Dr. Ture said if Walker did fire at officers, there should be residue on his hands or in the car.
Chief Mylett said officers did recover a shell casing at that location where the video picked up the flash.
BCI is investigating if it was fired from a gun found in Walker's car.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost commented on the investigation, saying it will take time but the BCI investigation will be available to everyone once it is complete.