National Alliance: Statement on the Murder of Jayland Walker
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
In the early morning of Monday, June 27, 8 Akron police officers fired over 90 shots at Jayland Walker, 25, striking him over 60 times, while attempting to stop him for a traffic violation. Following nearly a week of protests in Akron, authorities have now publicly released the bodycam footage of this deadly shooting. It’s a horrific video to watch, but its public release is crucial in the fight for justice.
Police departments know the importance of public perception in these kinds of cases, which is why they immediately push narratives, often without evidence, that seek to justify their officers and smear their victims. This is why Akron police claimed “[Walker] posed a deadly threat to them” and fired a gun outside his vehicle. Their goal is to depict Jayland Walker as deserving of such horrific violence in the minds of the public.
Body cam footage shows Jayland Walker running on foot until the shooting begins. The police unloaded 90 shots into Jayland with most of the shots being fired when he was on the ground. After being shot, police handcuffed Jayland’s lifeless body. At the time of the murder the police chief admitted that Jayland Walker was unarmed.
The murder of Jayland Walker comes at a time when our government driven by white supremacists is removing its reactionary mask and showing its ugly, repressive face. The overturning of Roe v Wade, the inability to sue police officers who fail to read people their Miranda Rights, the targeting of same-sex marriage and unions, etc., are creating even more oppressive conditions in this country. We’re in a moment of crisis, and Black, Brown, and working class people are being tightly squeezed out of the little freedoms we have. Conditions are rough, and all signs signal to even further repression in the future.
However, we must not give into despair and apathy. We must turn our despair into action. Only through disciplined organizing and action can we lead the masses towards a future in which the police do not get away with murdering Black people. A future in which the people have a direct say over who polices them and how they are policed. This is a future with actual police accountability through community control, and the time to build that future is now!
The National Alliance stands in full solidarity with the family and friends of Jayland Walker and their demands for justice and accountability. We are also demanding the following:
• Fire and indict all officers involved in the shooting of Jayland Walker
• The DOJ launch an immediate investigation into the shooting of Jayland Walker
• Community Control of the Police Now!
We call on Alliance chapters, affiliates and all strains of the peoples movements to hold protests demanding Justice for Jayland Walker in their cities starting July 5th.
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