AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – Representatives from the Atlanta-based New Order Human Rights Organization were in Akron on Wednesday, adding their voices to the outcry following the fatal police-involved shooting of Jayland Walker one month ago.
Gerald Rose, president of the organization, announced during a news conference that it was his intention not to allow discussion about the incident go silent.
“This is not a show. We are here for solutions, we are here to join forces with the local people community leaders here in Akron,” said Rose. “If you need help going further, we will be here, every rally, protest because, again, unity is the key. You have unity, you got power.”
“It needs to be constantly talked about and entertained locally and nationally because we have found when the attention goes away and the protesters leave and go back home, that’s when a lot of the mischief is made,” said Minister Stephen Muhammed of the Nation of Islam.
The incident remains under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation as an independent body.
Rose, however, stopped short of saying he would trust their investigation.
“I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t trust the system. All policemen are not bad, we need policemen, but when you have bad apples on the streets, it makes all of them look bad and the good ones don’t say nothing because there’s probably a code or something but I’m hoping that the decision they make is the right decision,” said Rose.
The Wednesday news conference comes as police are investigating another incident of violence during a demonstration on Tuesday.
Akron police say a “rolling demonstration” was blocking traffic on High Street near the police department around 8 p.m. Tuesday when a motorcyclist tried going around the demonstrators.
“Some vulgarities are exchanged toward him and in the culmination of that, he was assaulted pretty viciously. He has some significant facial injuries and so I’ll submit to you that there is no one member of this police community or city administration that thinks that’s justified,” said Akron Police Department Lieutenant Michael Miller.
The motorcyclist was hospitalized on Wednesday while police were continuing to condone peaceful protest while vowing to intervene if they become violent.
“That has not defined the sum of some of these demonstrations. I won’t submit that, but there has to be a line where you attack someone who hasn’t bothered you in any fashion, an unprovoked attack is really senseless and that is what we won’t tolerate,” said Miller.
At Wednesday’s news conference, Rose was joined by local activists and ministers still hoping for answers.
“We just want to see an equality. We are positioned here to make sure that we are teaching our people, our children to do the right thing, but then when we put all of our faith and trust and confidence, the right thing is not being done,” said Adriel Wilson of the North Hill Church of Christ.
Also discussed was something that is a community concern, but is rarely talked about in context with the Jayland Walker shooting.
Minister Stephen Muhammed hoping the conversations about the Walker shooting will also help address shootings and murders within the city of Akron, where there have been nine homicides just since the Walker shooting on June 27.
“When it comes to police departments or law enforcement killing us, we have a major outcry, but when we have the issue within that is also slaughtering in some cases 20 times the rate, those are areas that we can directly and effectively change, but we do need the help,” said Muhammed, calling on grass roots organizations in the city to get involved.
“Akron received $145 million to address the issue of gun violence, particularly with the youth and we are hoping this will ignite what we hope will become a cultural shift. It’s going to take a lot of time, three to five years, and the grass roots organizations have to be the ones to take the point on that and so that’s what we are hoping will also come from the killing of Jayland Walker.”
