Upon the investigation into the shooting death of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black motorist, an Ohio grand jury decided not to charge eight Akron police officers - seven of whom were white.
"The grand jury officers were legally justified in their use of force," said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
According to authorities, a special Summit County grand jury has been reviewing the incident of June 27, in which officers attempted to pull Walker over for allegedly violating traffic laws.
Walker's death inspired several protests and renewed conversations about how police treat Black people during routine encounters. Justice Department officials said they are monitoring the case after Walker's family and NAACP asked for an investigation.
At around 12:30 a.m. on June 27th, police attempted to stop Walker for a traffic violation. After driving away from police and exiting his car to run on foot, officers deployed stun guns before eventually opening fire.
The eight officers fired 46 rounds at Walker, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. As a result of the property damage caused by last year's demonstrations, some Akron businesses have begun to board up windows, and Summit County Courthouse security measures have recently increased with the installation of steel barricades.
We will continue to follow this story as it develops and hope that Jayland Walker's family is surrounded by love amid this massive injustice.
Source: NBC News
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