MOBB United for Social Change Demands Justice for Jayland Walker
Instead of gathering with family for 4th of July celebrations this year, the family and community of Jayland Walker mourned the tragic loss of their 25 year old son, a church member who was adored by elders in his community. During a police stop on the evening of June 27th, Jayland suffered at least 60 wounds that were the result of gunfire; Walker was shot 90 times. The Akron police department claimed that this incident was a public safety issue and pointed to the fact that Jayland did not immediately surrender during a routine traffic stop and that he had to be chased by police officers. We will never hear Jayland’s side of the story. Perhaps he knew and could sense that there was no de-escalation possible from these police officers. Perhaps he ran, because he was afraid. What we know is that when Jayland finally succumbed from being fatally wounded in a blitz of bullets, he was unarmed. There was no gun present on him. The police claim there was a weapon in his car. Yet just on June 13, 2022, two weeks earlier, Ohio became the 23rd state to permit citizens to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
As we know all too well, at the same time in other parts of Ohio and other parts of the country, the police engage in traffic stops with many individuals; they often give chase and are able to safely take an individual into custody, without the individual losing their life. This occurs when there are weapons present, when it is clear a crime was being committed, and even when weapons are used against the police. Law enforcement officers know how to de-escalate police encounters and get them to a place where the public is safe, they are safe and the person they are engaged with is safe.
Moms of Black Boys United for Social Change mourn with the family and community of Jayland Walker and demand a fair and transparent investigation into his unlawful death. We call for the arrest and firing of the officers who attempted to take Jayland Walker's life and that they be prohibited from ever serving as law enforcement officers again. Jayland’s actions during the encounter match the actions of many, many persons - usually not persons of color - who are able to walk away unharmed. Law Enforcement must be held accountable, now.
Call To Action
Join your voices with ours at M.O.B.B. United for Social Change in making our demands.
When making phone calls, be polite but firm. Talking points and sample script:
- We are pleased to see that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is examining what took place in this incident.
- We call on police chief Stephen Mylett to release ALL of the body camera footage from the 13 officers who were at the scene. To date only portions of the footage have been released.
- We call on the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to bring charges against the officers in this incident. It is never in the interest of public safety that an unarmed individual should be shot at 90 times.
M.O.B.B. United for Social Change, Inc. is a nationwide coalition of moms who are dedicated to making the world a safer place for Black boys and men by eradicating harassment, brutality and unwarranted use of deadly force by law enforcement and others against our sons. The group was born out of frustration over the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile in Minnesota and numerous other innocent Black boys and men killed by police before and after them. It has grown into a mobilized force of moms determined to make a difference. We aim to influence both policy and perception that impact how Black boys and men are treated by law enforcement.