Family of Black Man Killed by Ohio Police Agrees to Settlement With City

The family of Jayland Walker, a Black man fatally shot by Ohio police in 2022, has reached a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit.
The settlement agreement between Walker’s family and the city of Akron, Ohio was confirmed in a joint court filing on Tuesday, though specific details remain undisclosed. Family attorneys announced plans for a press conference “at the appropriate time” to discuss the agreement. Akron officials, meanwhile, have refrained from commenting until the legal process is complete.
The lawsuit, filed in June 2023, followed an incident where officers fired 94 bullets at Walker during a high-speed chase two years ago and sought a minimum of $45 million in damages from the officers, the city and its officials.
The lawsuit accused the police of excessive force and claimed a “culture of violence and racism” within the Akron Police Department. The complaint came months after a grand jury decided not to indict the officers involved. Authorities have yet to release the names of those officers.
Walker, 25, was killed on June 27, 2022, during a traffic stop. According to state investigators, he fired a single shot from his vehicle before fleeing on foot, leaving his gun in the still-moving car. The police perceived Walker as an imminent “deadly threat” when he refused to surrender, prompting them to unleash nearly 100 rounds in less than seven seconds.
The settlement comes after a group of law enforcement leaders called on police departments nationwide to reform their approach to using physical force in light of escalating fatalities during civilian encounters.
The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) issued an extensive report last month, advocating immediate changes in training, procedures and the treatment of individuals in crisis.
The initiative follows an investigation spearheaded by The Associated Press, revealing over 1,000 deaths over a decade tied to restraint methods meant to subdue individuals without fatal intent, notably including the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
In the wake of these findings, the PERF has introduced new guidelines aimed at curtailing preventable deaths and injuries by refining how and when officers use force. The research forum’s recommendations, which will be applied to all incidents officers handle, include better coordination with medical responders, de-escalation tactics and adherence to long-standing safety warnings.
“Every police chief, sheriff, trainer, officer, and any other person involved in these incidents should take the time to read these principles and put them to use,” the recommendations said. “They can save lives.”
The Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based organization led by law enforcement chiefs and administrators, has previously crafted policy guidelines on using tasers and body cameras at the Justice Department’s request.