Jayland Walker wasn’t “walking while black” when gunned down by white cops.
I’ll start with the police version, because right now that’s the only version there is. According to them, he was pulled over for a traffic violation, tried to drive away, and during the ensuing vehicle chase cops saw a muzzle flash and heard a gunshot (and they later found a gun on the car seat); then a man wearing a ski mask jumped out and led them on a foot chase.
Parts of that story are disputed or in doubt, but what’s not in doubt is 8 cops fired 90 rounds and struck Walker 60 times. Walker, of course, died; and protests followed. (See outline of events here.)
The incident occurred in Akron, Ohio, where the police chief (who’s white) said he’s reserving judgment. An earlier police department statement said “actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them.”
Why is this controversial? First, over a week later, none of the 8 cops has been interviewed by investigators. Second, Walker’s family and protesters contend he was unarmed when he was shot. And third is the fact he was shot dozens of times, plus they claim he was shot from behind while running away.
It’s controversial because, to some, it looks like another police execution of a black man for being black. Some people will question whether a white suspect who did the same thing would’ve gotten the same treatment; they suspect not. His aunt said, “we’d like to know why he was shot down like a dog,” and protesters believe “because he was black.”
In our legal system, cops are entitled to defend themselves, but they’re not entitled to carry out “street justice,” especially if it’s race-based. There’s a belief in black communities they often do anyway. (The murder of George Floyd being a blatant example.)
Every case has its own facts, and first and foremost, what’s needed is clarification of what happened, what the facts are. This is not a time to rush to judgment.
But a few things in general can be said:
- Across America, cops worry about their own safety. Anyone who pulls a gun on a cop, or shoots at police, risks getting shot.
- But America also has a racism problem, and a plethora of racist policing incidents; black people are afraid of cops, which may explain why black suspects run away from cops, even in routine traffic stops.
- It’s not illegal, per se, to have a gun in your car. (Supreme Court, and Second Amendment, and NRA, remember? Or are guns only for white people to have?)
- And Walker hadn’t just robbed a bank, fled from a domestic violence altercation, or committed a serious crime.
- And vehicle pursuits happen all the time (the “Cops” TV show, and YouTube, are full of them); most don’t end with police shootings.
So there are ambiguities.
Police have just released body-cam footage (see story and video here). I have some more questions: It was dark; did the cops even know he was black? Where any of the officers black? Was this a suicide-by-cop? (Very doubtful; Walker clearly was trying to get away, not goad the officers into shooting him.)
The bottom-line question may boil down to this: White suspects also get killed by police, but can you find a case where a white suspect was shot 60 times?