Video of the killing of a black American by police bullets provokes anger and demonstrations
The mayor and police of Akron, Ohio, on Sunday, called for calm after a video clip was published showing police killing a black man whose lawyer said he was shot 60.
The killing of an African-American youth, who was wounded by dozens of police bullets, on Monday in Akron, Ohio, sparked angry demonstrations in this city near Cleveland, in the north of the United States.
Gayland Walker, 25, was killed while fleeing police after trying to arrest him for a traffic violation.
A very violent video clip released by the police on Sunday shows the young man with bullets piercing his body.
Anti-racism associations have called for a new demonstration in this city, to demand "justice for Gayland Walker".
"Many will want to express their discontent publicly, and I fully support our residents' right to peaceful assembly," Mayor Dan Horrigan said.
During a press conference, he expressed his great sadness, adding, "But I hope that people will agree that violence and destruction are not the solution."
Police Chief Steve Millett said the coroner's report recorded 60 injuries on Walker's body.
Earlier, the city police said in a statement that the young driver shot its officers during the chase.
"The suspect's actions made the officers realize that there was a mortal threat," she added, and "they fired from their weapons, killing the suspect" as he fled.
Police said they found a weapon in the car that the young driver had left.
The police officers involved in his murder have been administratively detained, pending the completion of the judicial investigation.
Also, an internal investigation was launched, according to the police.
According to local media, eight policemen fired more than 90 bullets at Walker.
"They hit him 60 times," Black Lives Matter said on Twitter.
The Walker family demanded that the authorities give them clarifications, calling during a press conference for angry demonstrations to remain peaceful, at a time when demonstrators began gathering since Wednesday outside the city hall and the police station in Akron, known as the birthplace of basketball star LeBron James.
James said in a tweet Sunday that he was praying for his city.
"He wasn't a monster, he wasn't someone who had participated in a crime in his life," Bobby DeCillo, a lawyer for the Walker family, told the press.
Walker's killing is the latest in a series of killings of black men by law enforcement forces in the United States that critics describe as racist and unjustified killings, including the killing of George Floyd in 2020 in the city of Minneapolis, which sparked protests around the world against police brutality and racial grievances.
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