Akron, Ohio, to end curfew imposed after police killing of Black man
2022.07.06 03:20
FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators protest against the Akron police shooting death of Black man Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio, U.S. July 3, 2022. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse/File Photo
(Reuters) – The Ohio city of Akron plans to lift a curfew imposed in the wake of unruly protests that broke out after police released video of officers killing an unarmed Black man, Mayor Dan Horrigan announced on Tuesday.
Demonstrators took to the streets after police on Sunday released body camera video that showed eight officers shooting Jayland Walker as many as 60 times as he fled a traffic stop on June 27.
Daytime protests on Sunday were peaceful, but despite pleas from the Walker family for calm, some demonstrators broke storefront windows and damaged property in central Akron, prompting police to disperse the crowd with tear gas.
In response, Horrigan imposed a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and canceled Fourth of July fireworks displays.
On Monday, a small demonstration was orderly and the public respected the curfew, and Horrigan said in a statement he planned to lift the curfew on Wednesday, anticipating that further demonstrations would remain peaceful.
“In an effort to support all those who are peacefully protesting, I plan to lift the curfew in our downtown footprint starting tomorrow,” Horrigan said.
The shooting of Walker, 25, marks the latest in a series of police killings of unarmed Black men, raising questions about police use of force and equal justice for African Americans.
