Amid the investigation on the controversial Jayland Walker shooting in Akron, Ohio, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James broke his silence to share his hope and prayer for his city.
In the latest update with regards to the fatal shooting that left Walker dead, Ohio authorities released the disturbing and scary bodycam footage of the said incident. At the time of shooting, Walker was unarmed. However, during the pursuit, it appeared a shot came from the man's car.
Amid the ongoing investigation regarding the shocking and heartbreaking incident, the Lakers forward took to Twitter to react to the news:
According to reports (via NPR), the incident started as a routine traffic stop, with police officers trying to stop Walker's car for unspecified traffic violations. Nonetheless, it turned into a “public safety issue” after the alleged shot that came from the 25-year-old.
Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett noted that the 25-year-old Walker was unarmed when eight officers shot at him. A gun was said to be recovered inside Walker's car.
However, per the Akron Beacon Journal, the Walker's family attorney claimed that there were more than 90 bullets fired at Jayland as the young man suffered more than 60 wounds.
For his part, Akron Mayor Daniel Horrigan said “the video is heartbreaking” and “hard to take in,” but he pleaded for everyone to be patient while authorities are conducting the investigation.
Here is the bodycam footage from the incident [Warning: graphic content]:
As everyone knows, police brutality has been a major issue in the US over the years. Everyone can still remember what happened to George Floyd in Minnesota, and there has been several other similar cases since then. With that said, it's not a surprise why a lot of people are concerned and worried with regards to the latest incident.
LeBron James and a lot of other athletes have also called and campaigned for authorities to take action to prevent such issues from happening again.