July 7, 2022 • 48 mins
Senator Turner speaks with Councilwoman Tara Mosely and Dr. N.J. Akbar to update and review the circumstances around the Jayland Walker police shooting in Akron, Ohio on June 27, 2022. In this painful moment, they uphold the family's request for peaceful protests, for non-local residents to remain at home, and for transparency and accountability from the police department.
LINKS:
Councilwoman Tara Mosley
https://www.akroncitycouncil.org/node/22
Dr. N.J. Akbar
The Ohio Task force on Community and Police Relations
https://www.ocjs.ohio.gov/ohiocollaborative/links/recommendations.pdf
https://ocjs.ohio.gov/otfcpr/index.html
Additional links:
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/03/kristi-noem-abortion-children-00043886
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Turn Everything's welcome to Hello Somebody, a production of The
(00:28):
Black Effect Podcast Network and I Heart Media. Where we
rage against the machine, where we raise our voices against
injustice and stand up for justice. Where we embrace hope
and joy with an optimism for a bright or more
justus future. Each week I'll be dropping knowledge, whether it's
(00:49):
a solo episode from me or a hearty discussion with
esteem guests doing great things in spaces and places of politics, entertainment,
social justice, and beyond. We get real, baby, I mean
really real. We get honest, We get up close and
personal for you, yes, you, because everybody is Somebody. Before
(01:16):
we begin, I want to give a special shout out
to my team, Thank you, Sam, Tiffany, Sam and the
team over at Good Jujuic Studios, Erica England, Pepper Chambers,
the Hot One, and my social media team. Good evening,
East Coast Time, Good evening. I'm Nina Turner and I'm
(01:38):
being joined today by Councilwoman Tara Mosley. We were here
just a couple of days ago talking about what is
happening in Akron, Ohio. Akron, Ohio part of northeast Ohio.
Many of you already know, but just in case some
people may not have been keeping up with the news
that a year old black man was killed by the ACRONO.
(02:00):
Least let me do a quick recap and then I'm
gonna pull the council lady in. So we have Jalen Walker.
He was twenty five years old. He was fatally shot
on Monday. This occurred about twelve thirty a m in
the North Heell community of Akron, and the chase ended
in Firestone Park. It was a minor traffic stop. Their
(02:22):
ninety bullets were shot, about sixty of them. According to
the coroners report, sixty bullets pierced Jalen's body. This is,
in fact, the third fatal shooting by Akron police in
the last six months. The city has asked for the
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take over the investigation,
(02:43):
which I believe is the right thing to do. The
family has been holding numerous press conferences. They've asked people
to protest peacefully in the honor of Jalen and also
for their sake. A council Woman Mosley is gonna let
us know how that has been going. There was a
peace march on Sunday, protest on Saturday, and since then
(03:06):
some things have gotten out of hand. The video was released,
and the video is quite shocking. It is very disturbing.
If you watch that video, I mean, you just can't
be the same after seeing that video. So here we
are having to deal with not only this, but what
just happened in the state of Illinois in a suburban
community where there was a mass shooting there. But we're
(03:30):
gonna start with Jalen a council Ladie. Thank you for
being back with us. I know that this is not
a pleasant occasion that we come live to make sure
that people have the most up to date information besides
what they're reading from the news. So because like, can
you walk us back, let's tell us what happened on Saturday,
what happened on Sunday, and what is happening right now
(03:52):
in Akron. Well, thanks for having me. On Saturday, there
were peaceful protests prior to the video being released. All
protests were peaceful. They anticipated there to be more protests
on Sunday. As we entered Sunday, the video in a
press conference took place at undisclosed location with press in
(04:13):
our mayor and the police chief and an array of
other individuals. The video released and it was it was
very disturbing because it started with steel shots instead of
the actual video, so it almost gave a context as
the steel shots to portray, in my opinion, Jalen Walker
in a different light. So once they actually sent us
(04:35):
over the thirteen video cameras and we released them so
everybody could see the ones that weren't redacted, it was
even more disturbing because now you were able to see
body camera footage from each officer that was on the scene,
and it even brought up even more questions. Some of
(04:57):
the officers were very close to j Len as he
darted from the car, never looked at them. He ran
from the car. Out of the passengers see he jumps,
he runs, but they're close enough. This is all my opinion.
I'm not not a police officer, but I'm going off
what I saw, and I've watched almost fifty times as
of now. They were almost close enough where they could
(05:18):
attackle him, but instead they continued to chase him. And
you hear one are the officers shoot out profanity at
him and the bullets rang out. You hear another officer
yill cease fire, not once but twice, maybe even three times,
and they kept shooting. His body was already on the
ground being lifted as it was being shot. It was
(05:41):
already on the ground cease fire being carred out, and
they were still shooting the kid. I mean, you will
never be the same if you watch that. It looked
like a literal fire spot. Yeah, it was an execution.
And I know I have police officer friends who are
upset with me right now for saying it. But sometimes
you just have to be truthful about what's going on
(06:02):
around you, whether you're a police officer or not. And
on that point, consulate, we do need members of law enforcement.
This can't happen. The kind of change that we need
in policing in America cannot happen without law enforcement. We
need law enforcement to recognize when they have when the
profession has gone too far, when things have gone wrong.
(06:22):
We need good law enforcement to call out bad law
enforcement because it makes not only the community less safe,
it makes law enforcement less safe as well. Can we
go back and talk about the fact that Jalen did
have a weapon in the car, because we're gonna have
people talk about that. In Ohio, you can open carry
(06:44):
and it's gotten worse over the last two months because
now you don't have to have any training. You do
not have to notify law enforcement that you have a
weapon on your person unless they directly ask you. Thank you,
Ohio Republicans. You know, implements of your unfriendly, un neighborly
a GOP with this gun obsessed culture that we live
(07:07):
in in the United States of America, and this is
happening all over the country. So don't even talk about
whether or not he had a gun. Now there are
some reports, Council Lady, that he shot at law enforcement.
This is why we need a thorough investigation. I know
that's what you're calling for. I'm calling for it. We
now have some other folks who are elected calling for it.
(07:31):
Let me not people are calling for a thorough I
ain't gonna get petty saying people are calling for a
thorough investigation, and that's that's absolutely right, because we do
want justice, and in order to get justice, we need
to know everything that transpired before that deadly shooting happened,
(07:52):
and what transpired even after Jalen was killed. That's right,
that's what we want. Transparency and accountability. That's what family
is asking for. Consulate, that's what you're asking for. I
know that the black elected officials of Summit County, you
all have put out I believe, to press releases. One
was to call on the Department of Justice to enter
(08:13):
into this investigation process. The other press release because there
has been some property damage, calling on the community and
people who call themselves coming in to support the community,
to cut this ship and don't don't engage in violence. Now.
There's no other way that we can say. This's not
a family at conlate. I'm upset about this. The family
(08:36):
asked you, they asked you, they said, don't do it now.
All of you who are up, you know, enraged, and
we all have a right to be enraged. This is enraging,
it is no doubt. But you gotta channel that rage
into something that is positive, that will get us the
results that we want. And none of you, none of us,
(08:57):
are hurting more than the family because like you and
I talked about this, we both agree that anybody that
is engaging in property damage and violence are doing that
for themselves. Oh yeah, that's that's that's self serving. That's
self serving. It has nothing to do but Jalen Walker's death,
and it has nothing to do about respecting that family's wishes.
(09:19):
And I'll say this again for those people say well
we're mad, we will never be as mad as it's
angry and enraged. Is that family who is about to
fury their child, their brother, Like, so we can stop
that foolish this right now. Those buildings didn't kill Jalen Walker.
Come on, those windows didn't kill Jalen Walker. Going peacefully protests, absolutely,
(09:41):
but you're causing gamage to buildings that had nothing to
do with this young man's death. It's ridiculous. And some
of these videos that are being sent to me, these individuals,
a couple of them don't even look like you and I.
They're tearing up signs, breaking windows off the city trucks,
catching dumpster, gonna fire, and they're being escorted out by
(10:02):
other right knee and said leave here. You don't belong here.
So y'are coming in and trying to mix up confusion
and all. We wanted some justice, but we're gonna be
peaceful in our justice. Don't come in here and act
like y'all care about what happened to this young man
like we do. We care. You're coming in here to
break in some places, steal a couple of things and
(10:23):
say do some TikTok videos that y'all broke up some
windows stopping. I'm very upset about that. And it's not
even about the building. It's about respect, respect that families wishes.
And they have said that time and time again themselves.
They said it through their attorneys, they said it through
other family members who are at these protests. This is
(10:45):
what you'll choose to do. Stop it doing that. It's
not about Jamil. That's right, and we're saying it, and
we're gonna keep saying it. It don't make no cond
of sense. There is multiple ways to get at the
type of justice that we're talking about, and burning up
other people's community is not the way, because you know
who's gonna hurt, council lating the citizens of Akron. Absolutely.
(11:06):
One of the buildings downtown a business just open, owned
by young black men who owns another business in the community.
Great kid. He called me days before and said, what
do you think I should do? He was nervous. He
just moved downtown, and it hurt my heart to have
to tell him, part up your builty. I'd rather he
be safety. Sorry. And then they showed videos. There's a
(11:27):
white guy standing outside his a builty looking at it,
trying to think what he was gonna do to it,
but they had already boardered it up. And that's to
me the kind of things we don't need to happen here.
Like those people are not about justice. You have these
radicals who claim they care about justice and injustices, but
then this is the thing that you do. Yeah, it's foolishness,
(11:48):
is what it is. We're gonna ask you one more time,
one more good time. The family of Jalen Walker has
asked everyone to be peaceful in their protests. Adhere to
they're asking you to do or don't come. Keep your
behind where you where you live. Make a phone call
to the governor, make a phone call to the senator,
make a phone call to your congressman, and tell them
(12:11):
that we want justice here. But if you wan't come
to try to burn our city down, don't come. Don't come,
don't come. That's it. And if you live in Akron,
please do not fall into this trap, right because that
suffering is going to hurt the citizens, the residents, the
people who live, work and play in Akron, and these
other foods gonna go back right. You're talking about a
(12:33):
caravan of community members. We had several protests yesterday. We
had one put on by the n A c P.
We had one put on by Second Baptists. We have
the young people from up on Copee Road and we
already know what's going under our neighborhoods. They got together
and they caravan downtown, I mean a caravan and seeing
cars and people, and they came down there peacefully. And
(12:55):
then you get a couple of knuckleheads who want to
engage and weave their way through their peaceful protesting and
reak hath it that turns into officers tear gassing people.
Now caravan the police officers now going down the street
throughing tear gassing people because you had these people, these
(13:17):
individuals came in with their own agenda does and disrupted
what these young people have put together. Now we've learned
about the National Guard coming in, we got to send
out letters saying stay away because the only thing you're
doing is throwing gasoline on something that's already simmering. Hearing
you correctly, the National Guard has been called into the
(13:37):
city of Akron. They have been called and not deployed.
So what me, as the Black electors of Summer County did,
We sent out a letter saying we don't need them here.
We don't need them here. We can utilize the ones
that are already here, and we need to call on
another municipality to help in that. Then then that's what
we do for peace and calm. There's don't need to
(13:58):
calling people who are just going to intensify and they're
gonna escalate it. That's only going to escalate it, just
like then putting a blue line across the police department
windows when they know protesters are out there at night.
Why even escalate the situation when you know people are angry,
upset and hurdy. Yeah, there's no need to do that.
(14:19):
And again, let the investigation go where it goes exactly.
That's it. Accountability, transparency. The investigation must take place, and
there needs to be multiple because this is a very
difficult a situation. We get it, very difficult situation. Good
God a mighty again. I am joined by a councilwoman,
(14:39):
Tara Mosley. We are giving a recap of the shooting
death of Jalen Walker, twenty five years old. He was
shot to death on Monday by Akron Police. There were
eight police officers involved. According to the corner, sixty bullets
hit Jalen's body. The attorneys for Jalen's family has estimated
(15:00):
that there were ninety shots fired. I know that the
police chief council lady said during the press conference that
they weren't quite sure, you know, how many shots were fired,
but they were gonna become closer to that. So I
just want the people who are joining us to know
that the attorneys for Jalen's family, they estimated that there
were ninety shots fired. But the corner has absolutely said
(15:23):
that sixty bullets hit Jalen's body. We're also told that
CPR or some stuff was you know what, I'm not
even gonna go there, yea, how the unholy hell? You're
not really you came down with resuscitate somebody, You just
in sixty bullets then riddle their bodies. Well, he had
(15:46):
a pause and that was his wood leaving his body.
You can't shoot someone at any times and expect them
to live. And then they handcuffed him. You handcuffed his
lifeless body. And I think that's the part is making
it really hard for me as a human being stepping
out of my capacity as a councilperson, as a human being.
(16:06):
You don't even treat an animal like that. If you're
deer hunting, you would do that to a deer. But
you do this to the two five year old man
who was running away. He didn't turn aim and fire.
I know that's what everybody thought and wanted to believe.
He was running away and the weapon was found in
the car. Again, let us repeat for people in the
(16:27):
in the back that in Ohio you can open carry,
and now you can open carry without even letting notifying
the police at a traffic top. You have no legal
obligation in the great state of Ohio to tell that
you have a weapon. I mean, it's just got worse
in this state, right really. You know, I've said it
and I'll say it again, and I know some of
(16:48):
my residents took payment me for saying it. In the
state of Ohio this is open carry. But black people
are allowed to own guns too. I'm not a gun person.
I'm not, and everybody goes it, but I'm never gonna
take the rights away from someone who wants to be
a legal gun owner. So he legally was allowed to
own a gun. Now, where the gun was positioned in
(17:08):
the car is still up for debate for me, because
being an analyst and coming from a law firm where
that's what I did was just analyzed situations. I'm having
a hard time believing a young man who was driving
so fast, weaving in and out of streets that the
gun was just sitting so neatly in that position and
he had to slide across the seat from his driver's
(17:30):
seat to run out of his passenger seat. So you're
telling me that gun and his ring was just sitting
here all just so pristine. See, these are the questions
that now that are keeping me up because now I'm
sitting and I'm rewatching every video and I'm just concerned.
I'm very concerned, and those who protect the Blueline should
be concerned to because a lot of you all are
(17:51):
great officers, but issues like this is what makes people
think you're all bad. And I correct to say that
there's no video footage of inside the car, like no
cam footage has been released yet has been released, but
I'm sure someone would have body camera on went into
the car, and I would just assume that that would
(18:12):
be part of the footage. That should have been released
within that seven day period. Him allegedly being resuscitated should
have been on someone's body camera. I would assume that
that footage should have been released within seven days as well,
at least that's what our charter says. Has there been
any test that you know of of gun residue? I mean,
I think most people know that when you shoot a gun,
(18:33):
that leaves residue on you. Is there any indication that
Jalen's body has been tested if it can be with
all those shots to his body for gun residue on
his hands. We have not heard that part yet. But
how can you test it when he he's been shot
over sixty something times, She's clearly gonna have some kind
of residue all over him. So I don't, I don't.
(18:54):
That hasn't been reported to us here. We are asking
calling for calm and peace and justice, a full investigation. Again.
The city has asked higher Bureau of Criminal Investigation to
take over the investigation, which is a wise thing to do.
(19:15):
You have elected officials and other activists and leader thought
leader types like myself included calling on the Attorney General
the United States of American the Department of justice to
get involved and to investigate the shooting. They've been lots
of articles written since about police training. Is this calling
to question the type of training. Why wasn't de escalation
(19:38):
tactics utilized? You know all of the things that I
think people have a right to ask. We do know
that in the heat of the moment, there's something that
takes over folks. Obviously when you are in law enforcement.
That moment that happened to Jalen, I mean that was
I dare not even use the world I'm not even
gonna say what I'm thinking. Let's just say this. We
(20:00):
needed a thorough investigation to take place, and we needed
to happen right away. So because you sent me some pictures,
I'm trying to stay PG. You know, you said some photographs.
So there were protesters that went to the mayor's house
to talk to us about that. Yeah, So there was
a rally at a local business in post proximity, and
(20:22):
afterwards they marched to the mayor's house. Now, let me
say this on the forefront. I am not about anybody
going to anybody's house. I've had that happen to me.
My house got paid for by taxpayer money, nor as
his So I'm always going to be against that. But
the fact that we have so much going on in
our city and to see almost two dozen police officers
(20:47):
and squares lined up on his lawn was very, very
disturbing for people to send to us. We got a
lot going on in our city right now. They went
there peacefully to protests, and they had some demands. They
laid Wonder Devil strip. They did not go into his
lawn at all. But just to see that as that picture,
that's scene in itself, and to see this young person
(21:09):
standing up there with that sign in front of one
of the bobcasts that we owned. City council approved. We
approved that, but we also approved it knowing that it
would not be used to intimidate people. And it was
very intimidating to see that they're in front of the house.
It looked like a war zone. With me, the way
the officers are lined up in front of them's house,
(21:29):
I almost didn't think this was the city acron I
was looking at. Yeah, And again, I I'm totally against
people go on other people's houses protests, whether it would
have happened to me or not. I just think it's
yourself in a different kind of harms way when you
do that. But the scene is seeing that when we
have so much going on in our city, so many
(21:52):
other unsolved homicides going on in our city, and people
calling saying that they are having a hard time when
they called for police, get in a response, but then
a good two dozen of them. But it's not the
best use of tax dollars when you've gotta hold city counsel.
Have you and other elected leaders thought about the trauma
care you know, mental health? Is a city offering anything
(22:15):
to residents of Akron who may be rightfully so overwhelmed
by all of this in the form of counseling. I
have not seen them do that, but they need to
because this is traumatic for everyone. I mean, it's a trigger.
It's a trigger for people who have lost loved ones
to gun violence. It's a trigger to people who may
have lost loved one to police gun violence. It's a
(22:38):
trigger for people who lost loved ones to high speed chases. Um,
it's a trigger. It makes you sit and start reflecting
on all of that negative energy, and they need you.
They absolutely need to have something set up where people
can have those conversations about what they're feeling, and I
don't think anyone has done that. Check. Yeah, I totally
agree with that. And again, you know the ay that
(23:00):
Jalen is being portrayed. I know that his family has
objected to it, and the attorney because now you know,
they're trying to malign his character. Whatever happened, and that's
why we need to throw investigation. Councilay, you and I
don't know all. We know what we saw in the
in the videos. We know that that's not all. But
(23:22):
what we can say with great surety is that police
officers are not here to be judge, jury and executioner.
That is what we have the courts for. And Jaalin
should have had the benefit of being able to go
to court and stand before a judge. So whatever this investigation,
(23:45):
you know, brings the light, the fact of the matter
is sixty bullets hit this young man's body sixty And
I in any of those videos, again, maybe I'm missing something.
I did not see any de escalation tactics being deployed
it and we need to understand that it has to
be brought into it to the forefront for all police training.
(24:07):
De Escalation has to be part of training and it's
not I mean they just they just had a thing. Well,
one of the police stations got in trouble because during
their training their target practice, their targets are black men.
Who does that? I chaired Reimagining Public Safety Personnel Culture,
and I specifically said two things that I thought were
(24:28):
paramount Get rid of the aid requirement because older people
make different decisions because their seasoned. And I think there
would have been a lot more rational thinking if there
would have been someone older or veteran in the scope
of everything that happened. And there, in my understanding, there
were no veteran officers out there at all. To there
needs to be diversity in those police cars. I don't
(24:51):
care how they come up with the system of putting
officers in the car. That system needs to be one
black officer, one white officer, you know white, because they'll
learn from each other. And if you're dealing with a
white officer who's never interacted with black people, that black
person in the car can give him some insight on
how to deal with us, to deal with our neighborhood
and vice versa. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully, Yeah, we got issues
(25:13):
there too, But I think will you have a yang
in a gang in the car and they can have
conversations with each other about upbringing and things that they
see within the community. I think it just helps the
situation even more. You you can't have people paired up
with each other and then you have an instance like
what just happened with Jaalen Walker and the first thing
out of their mouth is I feared for my life.
(25:34):
And again, like I said in our last meeting, do
not be a police officer if that's gonna be the
first thing you interject when something happens. There was not
like you guys walked into a situation where you guys
are being ambushing someone. There's a person or persons with
with weapons shooting at you. He was running away, retreating. Yeah,
(25:57):
and that scenario has happened. I mean police officers have
been and Bush absolutely and that's wrong. It's absolutely wrong.
This was not that situation. He was running away, my god,
running away, I tell you. But they can bring in,
you know, all matter of white supremacists. This is just
a shot up you know Buffalo or you know the
(26:19):
top store in Buffalo or Yeah, I mean it's just amazing,
the Burger King, It's amazing. Whig while you sit here
and wait and again. We do not want white men
to be treated like black men. We want black men
to be treated like white men. How about that. We
(26:40):
have a serious problem in the United States of America.
My last point on this consulating whatever you want to say,
tell people what they should be doing, how they can
get involved and help. I want to remind folks that
in the state of Ohio, we had a task force
called Ohio Task Force on Community and Police Relations that
happened after they're the murder of Tamor Rights on the
(27:02):
playground in ten in the city of Cleveland. Governor Kasik
put together this task force. I was one of the
co chairs of the task force, myself and his Director
of Public Safety, John Borne. We had a task force
that had people from all walks of life, different ages,
different professions, including law enforcement, and for the first time
(27:25):
in the state's history, we put together standards and the
first standard we dealt with was the use of deadly force.
What happened to Jalen Walker was the use of deadly force.
Not of course standards can I totally prevent, but it
was definitely a step in the right direction. So my
question to Akron police and to the Acron Mayor and
(27:47):
to the citizens of Akron to ask the mayor and
the police chief, where is the city of Akron with
regards to those standards that were put in place for
the use of force and the use of deadly force.
That's what I wanted, because something is missing. I understand
that we've been joined by Dr Akbar has just popped in,
So before we go, we wanna allow him an opportunity
(28:10):
to express himself here. Uh, Dr Bar, thank you so
much for joining us and for being such a wonderful
public servant in the city of Akron. And then also
before we leave, I just want us to tackle what
just happened in Illinois. Just briefly. I'm just gonna tell
people what's going on. This has been a hell of
a Fourth of July weekend. I'll say that, doctor, go
(28:32):
right ahead. I appreciate it. I mean, we really are
taking so many steps back. It is unreal. It's hard,
really to grapple with what I saw on the video.
You know, when you think about being a black man,
especially a young black man at that, and to constantly
see this attack on us, it's it's unreal. And then
(28:55):
to know that even when you're an elected office, your
voice is still minimized, and people still think that you
don't have anything to contribute. It really is a sad day.
What I'm asking for everyone to do is two things. One,
this is not a one sided issue. Let's not try
to demonize or abilify Jalen Walker. That is not what
(29:20):
we should be doing. You know, we shouldn't even be focused.
You know, there unfortunately there's people who are saying, well,
he shot at the police. Here's my thing. I don't
necessarily want to deny it, but I do find it
hard to believe that if a person who's right handed
able to drive straight, reach over their body outside of
(29:41):
a window, first unroll the window, shoot outside the window,
then roll the window back up. Those are actions that
doesn't sit well with me. It doesn't seem logical. But
even if those things happen, we should all expect our
police department and police off to the highest accountability of
(30:03):
what they do with that deadly want weapon. We all
should be focused on that. And if you saw what
I saw at the moment where even if you feel
like you needed to use your gun once or twice
he was on the ground, they were still shooting. You know,
that's inhumane. So I just wanted to say that at
(30:25):
some point we have to bring humanity and civility into
the conversation around what we should expect from each other
from looking at each other. But if you don't see
me as human, you're never going to see what I
saw as being wrong. That is absolutely right in the
constant now we're talking about, especially the high speeds that
he was driving. But you bring up a good point.
(30:47):
Let the investigation direct us because if it is found
to be true, still when he got out of that car,
he was running away, So let him live and have
his day in court. Right. That's what courts are for,
(31:08):
have they the a That's that's what we're supposed to
be a system where people get a chance to go
before judge in the United States of America. But when
it comes to black people, especially black men, the rules
of engagement are different. So even if he is found
to have been doing something wrong, he still is entitled
(31:29):
under our system to have a day in court. Jesus,
and you know the councilating now and I'm calling on
black Jesus right now. It wasn't like, you know, he
didn't ambush them or any of that kind of stuff.
We know that there are situations where people want to
get into a shootout and all that with the police.
That was not the case here. And Dr bar just
hearing you say even when his body was on the ground,
(31:51):
they were still shooting, you know what, because they were
so caught up in shooting they couldn't stop shooting. Well,
once you deem somebody as a villain, it's hard for
you to unsee that. If that's the lens that you're
you have, it's hard to unsee that. And I just
want to just express that Jalen Walker's family and all
(32:12):
really all the families in America deserve better, and they
deserve all of us to be praying for them to
uplift them. But our community is hurting, and you know,
we can be the example of how to get it
right in America. A tragic, terrible, devastating situation has happened.
(32:34):
We can't change that, but we can change what we
do afterwards. We can't keep talking, we can't keep asking
the same people to come to the table at a taste.
We we have actions. I mean, there's so many task
forces and so many reports that already give us the
answers of what to do, but do we have the
will to do it? That's the question. You know. That
(32:57):
means you're gonna see some power, You're gonna to see
some control. You're going to disagree with some of the
things that need to happen, but they need to happen.
So just to recap for everyone, and I am joined
with two illustrious activists elected officials in the city of Akron.
(33:22):
I'm glad to call them my friend at his Councilwoman
Tara Mosley and Dr Akbar who is the president of
the Akron School Board. And I am so really glad
that they both are here this evening to give us
an update on what is happening in the city of Akron.
Many of you know that Jalen Walker was shot to
death on Monday in Akron. This occurred between the started
(33:46):
at twelve thirty am in the North Hill community a
chase and the chase ended at Firestone Park. The city
has since released the video footage. There are a lot
more questions than there are answers right now, and the
city is called for an investigation, for the High Bureau
of Criminal Investigations to take over an investigation, and the
(34:06):
black elected officials of Summit County, of which council Lady
Mosley is a part of and also dr Akbar are
calling on the Department of Justice to enter into this investigation.
They also released a press release based on some of
the violence that has taken place, the property damage that
has taken place in Akron, they released a press release
asking people to not engage in acts of violence. This
(34:32):
directive is mainly came from the family first. And you know,
dr Akbar, I don't know if you want to say
a few words about that consulating now where like these
foods are not honoring the wishes of the family, nor
are they honoring Jalen by tearing up property in the
city of Akron, No, they're not. But the other thing
of the about this, and I don't want to make
(34:54):
light a property damage at all, but I also want
to think about the weight that are outrage on property
damage ways on people when we have someone's life at stake,
as by his life who has been taken, and that
same level of outrage isn't taken with the officers, for example.
(35:18):
So I know that there's procedures around suspending them with
pay administratively all of those things, but at the end
of the day, sometimes doing what's right means going against
what that policy says, because the policy is really set
to protect the system, is not to protect you and I,
which is sad. So we you know, at some point
(35:40):
we do need to say that this is not right.
So some action. Maybe it's not that one, but some
action from the city and from the police needs to
take place. And also I just want to also point
out that that press release was asking for calm and peace,
but more importantly it also was telling uh and demanding
the mayor not to call in the National Guard, which
(36:03):
he was attempting to do. And so I just want
to put that out there as well. We don't need
greater escalation here, and we do not need millerization. We
need peace and we need action. That's exactly right. I
want you to jump here. But I'm gonna say this
to Dr burn I do understand me. Dr King said
that rioting was how that those who felt voiceless and helpless,
(36:26):
that's how they were being heard. You know what, I'm
paraphrasing what he's saying, and so I get all of that.
All I'm saying is that the family asked for this
not to happen. We outrage, and we all are willing
to do something to make sure that the things change.
A lot of these people that are burning down stuff,
they just there for theater see. And so the family asked,
(36:48):
and for me, that's good enough. They said, don't do this.
They didn't want it. And people are doing it, and
the people who are gonna get hurt are the people
who actually live, work and play in Akron. But I
hear you. Dr and Reverend Dr. Luther King Jr. Recognized
that things could get to such a fervor that a
all bets are off. I get that too, but it
still does not make it okay. I'm not condoning violence. No,
(37:11):
I didn't take it that way. No, I know. What
I'm saying is at some point we have to put
in perfective that property can be replaced, but the human
life can't, and so we should be even more outraged,
and we are. We are now. The ball is in
the mayor's courts, that's what you're saying. Right In two
thousand and twelve, when Melissa and Timothy were shot, you
(37:35):
all remember a hundred thirty seven shots. You can watch
the documentary on Netflix. It was mayor Jackson who called
in the department is just said, y'all need to come
in here. See that's the difference. May Jackson said, I
need you all to come in here. It was Mayor
Jackson who tried to get the mainstream media to pick
up on what happened. That's the difference. So leadership does matter,
(37:57):
and you damn right this Mayor. He needs to show
the outrage and and do what needs to be done, Okay,
and let the chips fall where they may on the
other side of this. That's that's what needs to happen.
Many thorough investigation, everybody, thorough investigation. Counselad you get closed
remarks on this, and then I just want to bring
up really briefly what just happened in Illinois. Again. I
(38:19):
want to encourage the residents and outsiders in the city
of Actor visiting the city of Akron. Jalen Walker's family
has called for peace and we will continue to peacefully protest,
and that is what they want. That's what they have
asked for and we are going to respect those wishes.
If you really want justice for Jalen, do it in
(38:39):
a peaceful way, because we do not want to associate
his name with destruction, because we already know how they'll
play that out, and we're not gonna do that. If
you see somebody doing something, send them on their way,
like those young men did last night. They told him
you don't belong here, get out of here. That's what
you do. Send them on their way. But we will
continue to peacefully protest. An absolutely, protests. Don't just go
(39:01):
and take a couple of pictures and say you went
down there. This has has to keep continuing on or
it's just gonna happen again and again and again. We're
gonna be right back here again having the same conversation
when it happens in another city, another town near you.
So again, peacefully protests, but protests absolutely, and it is
gonna happen again because this keeps happening over and over
(39:22):
and over again. It has to be a reckoning in
this country. And accuring is just yet another example of
our unfinished business in the United States of America when
it comes to policing. So this same nightmare is gonna
play out over and over and over again unless we
read the collective, we do something about it. So this
week in America, let me sum this up. This week
(39:42):
in America. A ten year old Ohio girl is forced
to travel to Indiana to have access to abortion care.
Ohio is participating in child abuse. A ten year old
girl was raped. Ohio is a trigger law state, so
that when the United States Supreme Court abolished Roe v. Wade,
(40:03):
overturned Roe v. Wade, she could not get an abortion.
She was raped. Wt F. She was raped, and she
was a little a few days over six weeks and
she had to be carted off to Indiana to get up.
God damn abortion. I said it. She's a baby. Child
(40:27):
abuse in Ohio, MO fols need to be ashamed in themselves.
Also this week in America, cops shot Jalen Walker. The
coroner has affirmed that sixty bullets pierced his body. And
then in a suburban community in Illinois, multiple people were
shot and killed at during a Fourth of July parade. Now,
(40:48):
we are not helpless, So people shot, people injured. You
can't even go to a parade in America with your family.
We are not helpless here. We can do something about this.
All of these are policy decisions, and so there are
plenty of ways that people can use their rage and
turn that rage into action and hold these elected officials
(41:10):
accountable and make sure that there are consequences that they
ain't getting back in unless they're gonna use the power
to lift the people of this nation. We gotta take this.
I hope everybody mad as hell. You decided you're not
gonna take this no more. It's ridiculous. Well, Nina, even
on piggybacking on what you said about Highland Park. I'm
looking on gun by US archive. It says thirty one
(41:33):
people were injured, six killed. My understanding nine, that condis
went up to nine dead now. Well as of Mansouri,
this is this is all. The fourth of July, Missouri,
four people shot in a mass shooting. Again in Chicago,
fourth of July, five people shot in another mass shooting. Virginia,
(41:54):
six people shot in the mass shooting. That's just today.
These are all policy decisions, and we got for here
who cling to these guns like they God, I don't
want to make no changes. We got what happened in Buffalo.
We ain't talking about Buffalo no more, Council Lady, we
don't even talk about Buffalo on the next one. And
(42:17):
because it's so many we came. We can't keep up.
These things must change, and they can change. They can
They start with us within our communities, and also elected
officials have a role to play. These are policy decisions.
And if these people are too cowardice because they are
controlled by their owner donors to do they can't do
nothing for the people, then we need to get rid
of them. They need to go go away. Right As
(42:40):
of today, three hundred and nine mass shootings have happened
in America. This is America, welcome and other industrialized nations
are looking at us like we some damn fools because
we are to continue to allow this kind of mayhem
to take place. And don't forget we still we're still
in the pandemic. I know people think rowing up, they've
done with Rona, but Rona ain't done with us. It's
(43:02):
other iterations of Rona. People are still suffering. Got the inflation.
People can't afford their food, they can't afford gas. Life
is happening to people. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, you know
Dot before you got out here. As the council lady
was the city of Acrant offering any counseling for residents
who who need it. As she said, people are going
through trauma, hell we need the United States of America
(43:23):
to provide some some damn counseling because everybody is going
through trauma in this country. And it's called Medicare for All.
Because if we have Medicare for all, the people get
the mental health services they need. No questions asked y'all
to set me off today. I wasn't trying to go here,
but we got our own fireworks going. Then they get
off your asses and do something. And it's called both
(43:44):
the people in and get the other ones out. That's
it wrong all day long. Republicans and these weak need Democrats, citizens,
sleeping giants need to wake up. We need to make
some demands, all right, anything else for the good of
the order, We're gonna go because I'm just getting more
more heated as we as we continue this conversation. Well,
thank you for continuing to amplify Jalen Walker's name, because
(44:09):
it needs to be amplified. He's not going to just
be another name, another mark. We're gonna make sure that
we get justice for him and uplift his name in
the process. Absolutely, man, DOTRK Bar. I just want people
to remember that this was not a personhood had a
life of crime. This was a standout wrestler who graduated
(44:30):
from book to high school. This could have been any
one of us. Just needs to recognize that we need
more humanity, more compassion, and a system that works for
all of us. In order to do that, the system
has to see us true that and we do need
more humanity. And again, we always got to explain the
(44:50):
character of the black person that was shot, and I'm
sick of that too, because you don't do that for
white people. We don't explain how good and wholesome they were.
But this is America, This, this is this has been
the plight of black folks since the beginning. We got
to humanize Jalen for him to get some sympathy here
and whether or not, let the investigation reveal what it reveals.
(45:12):
But we got courts. That's what the court system is for.
If it is fired that Jalen was doing anything wrong,
and guess what. Ain't nobody perfect, but by the grace
of God, it could be in any of us. So
nobody is perfect because some of our stuff don't come
all the way out like that. And that's not to
say I don't know if Jalen was doing something wrong
or not. I don't let the investigation bear it out,
(45:35):
but sixty but right doesn't matter. That's what the court
is for. Right. But now we gotta sit here and
humanize this young man. Y'all better check yourself, America before
you wrecked yourself. As somebody wants say, they're better be
glad that black people only want justice and not revenge.
I'm gonna say amen and amen and amen to that.
Thank you all for joining us. I want to thank
(45:57):
you both for being the type of public service that
you are and you're courage to speak out and to
speak a certain type of truth that many people do
not have the courage to do because they gotta check
whether or not as politically expedient. I love you both,
and as you know, I am here for my sisters
and my brothers and my family and friends in Akron.
I'm sending love and peace you all. You do the same,
and those of you who can be a part of
(46:18):
the solution, please do so, not just for the city
of Akron, for Jalen's family, but for other families that
are suffering all across this country for various reasons. We
are in a traumatic time and human history right now
in this moment, And just because that is the reality
today does not mean that it has to be the
reality tomorrow. So all of us have a great and
necessary work to do very thing the time. Yeah, change
(47:06):
is coming. The pain is nothing trying to shoot for
the stars. If you're gonna, ain't for something. To embrace
the love for your brother and sister. You need these
the mission brush. We need to puzzle this, pictures painted
up and frame it up for the world to see.
Hain't to hate it up. Enough is enough, It's enough
making changes enough in turn of a voice of the
truth to rose world. Despire the youth to keep their
(47:27):
eyes on the roof. It's the end. Never give up,
keep conquering goals to the eye. Intelligence, silver, wisdom is gold.
Back to the end. Now it is your time. Stay firm,
don't fold to the a or you need is the
three bones. That's what Grannie said. Now I'm gonna make
sure these words from Grannie spread for all the hair
to give it your air. She can take him to
the promised man. I swear world pieces what they fear
(47:48):
from Queen's the Cleveland, Ohio were here famous, turning somebody
you need to turn white, spanning Somebody ship in eternally
tell somebody turning times points has charge charls on our hands,
(48:21):
Well not Hello Somebody is a production of I Heart
Radio and the Black Effect Network. For more podcast from
our heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Turn Everything's welcome to Hello Somebody, a production of The
(00:28):
Black Effect Podcast Network and I Heart Media. Where we
rage against the machine, where we raise our voices against
injustice and stand up for justice. Where we embrace hope
and joy with an optimism for a bright or more
justus future. Each week I'll be dropping knowledge, whether it's
(00:49):
a solo episode from me or a hearty discussion with
esteem guests doing great things in spaces and places of politics, entertainment,
social justice, and beyond. We get real, baby, I mean
really real. We get honest, We get up close and
personal for you, yes, you, because everybody is Somebody. Before
(01:16):
we begin, I want to give a special shout out
to my team, Thank you, Sam, Tiffany, Sam and the
team over at Good Jujuic Studios, Erica England, Pepper Chambers,
the Hot One, and my social media team. Good evening,
East Coast Time, Good evening. I'm Nina Turner and I'm
(01:38):
being joined today by Councilwoman Tara Mosley. We were here
just a couple of days ago talking about what is
happening in Akron, Ohio. Akron, Ohio part of northeast Ohio.
Many of you already know, but just in case some
people may not have been keeping up with the news
that a year old black man was killed by the ACRONO.
(02:00):
Least let me do a quick recap and then I'm
gonna pull the council lady in. So we have Jalen Walker.
He was twenty five years old. He was fatally shot
on Monday. This occurred about twelve thirty a m in
the North Heell community of Akron, and the chase ended
in Firestone Park. It was a minor traffic stop. Their
(02:22):
ninety bullets were shot, about sixty of them. According to
the coroners report, sixty bullets pierced Jalen's body. This is,
in fact, the third fatal shooting by Akron police in
the last six months. The city has asked for the
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take over the investigation,
(02:43):
which I believe is the right thing to do. The
family has been holding numerous press conferences. They've asked people
to protest peacefully in the honor of Jalen and also
for their sake. A council Woman Mosley is gonna let
us know how that has been going. There was a
peace march on Sunday, protest on Saturday, and since then
(03:06):
some things have gotten out of hand. The video was released,
and the video is quite shocking. It is very disturbing.
If you watch that video, I mean, you just can't
be the same after seeing that video. So here we
are having to deal with not only this, but what
just happened in the state of Illinois in a suburban
community where there was a mass shooting there. But we're
(03:30):
gonna start with Jalen a council Ladie. Thank you for
being back with us. I know that this is not
a pleasant occasion that we come live to make sure
that people have the most up to date information besides
what they're reading from the news. So because like, can
you walk us back, let's tell us what happened on Saturday,
what happened on Sunday, and what is happening right now
(03:52):
in Akron. Well, thanks for having me. On Saturday, there
were peaceful protests prior to the video being released. All
protests were peaceful. They anticipated there to be more protests
on Sunday. As we entered Sunday, the video in a
press conference took place at undisclosed location with press in
(04:13):
our mayor and the police chief and an array of
other individuals. The video released and it was it was
very disturbing because it started with steel shots instead of
the actual video, so it almost gave a context as
the steel shots to portray, in my opinion, Jalen Walker
in a different light. So once they actually sent us
(04:35):
over the thirteen video cameras and we released them so
everybody could see the ones that weren't redacted, it was
even more disturbing because now you were able to see
body camera footage from each officer that was on the scene,
and it even brought up even more questions. Some of
(04:57):
the officers were very close to j Len as he
darted from the car, never looked at them. He ran
from the car. Out of the passengers see he jumps,
he runs, but they're close enough. This is all my opinion.
I'm not not a police officer, but I'm going off
what I saw, and I've watched almost fifty times as
of now. They were almost close enough where they could
(05:18):
attackle him, but instead they continued to chase him. And
you hear one are the officers shoot out profanity at
him and the bullets rang out. You hear another officer
yill cease fire, not once but twice, maybe even three times,
and they kept shooting. His body was already on the
ground being lifted as it was being shot. It was
(05:41):
already on the ground cease fire being carred out, and
they were still shooting the kid. I mean, you will
never be the same if you watch that. It looked
like a literal fire spot. Yeah, it was an execution.
And I know I have police officer friends who are
upset with me right now for saying it. But sometimes
you just have to be truthful about what's going on
(06:02):
around you, whether you're a police officer or not. And
on that point, consulate, we do need members of law enforcement.
This can't happen. The kind of change that we need
in policing in America cannot happen without law enforcement. We
need law enforcement to recognize when they have when the
profession has gone too far, when things have gone wrong.
(06:22):
We need good law enforcement to call out bad law
enforcement because it makes not only the community less safe,
it makes law enforcement less safe as well. Can we
go back and talk about the fact that Jalen did
have a weapon in the car, because we're gonna have
people talk about that. In Ohio, you can open carry
(06:44):
and it's gotten worse over the last two months because
now you don't have to have any training. You do
not have to notify law enforcement that you have a
weapon on your person unless they directly ask you. Thank you,
Ohio Republicans. You know, implements of your unfriendly, un neighborly
a GOP with this gun obsessed culture that we live
(07:07):
in in the United States of America, and this is
happening all over the country. So don't even talk about
whether or not he had a gun. Now there are
some reports, Council Lady, that he shot at law enforcement.
This is why we need a thorough investigation. I know
that's what you're calling for. I'm calling for it. We
now have some other folks who are elected calling for it.
(07:31):
Let me not people are calling for a thorough I
ain't gonna get petty saying people are calling for a
thorough investigation, and that's that's absolutely right, because we do
want justice, and in order to get justice, we need
to know everything that transpired before that deadly shooting happened,
(07:52):
and what transpired even after Jalen was killed. That's right,
that's what we want. Transparency and accountability. That's what family
is asking for. Consulate, that's what you're asking for. I
know that the black elected officials of Summit County, you
all have put out I believe, to press releases. One
was to call on the Department of Justice to enter
(08:13):
into this investigation process. The other press release because there
has been some property damage, calling on the community and
people who call themselves coming in to support the community,
to cut this ship and don't don't engage in violence. Now.
There's no other way that we can say. This's not
a family at conlate. I'm upset about this. The family
(08:36):
asked you, they asked you, they said, don't do it now.
All of you who are up, you know, enraged, and
we all have a right to be enraged. This is enraging,
it is no doubt. But you gotta channel that rage
into something that is positive, that will get us the
results that we want. And none of you, none of us,
(08:57):
are hurting more than the family because like you and
I talked about this, we both agree that anybody that
is engaging in property damage and violence are doing that
for themselves. Oh yeah, that's that's that's self serving. That's
self serving. It has nothing to do but Jalen Walker's death,
and it has nothing to do about respecting that family's wishes.
(09:19):
And I'll say this again for those people say well
we're mad, we will never be as mad as it's
angry and enraged. Is that family who is about to
fury their child, their brother, Like, so we can stop
that foolish this right now. Those buildings didn't kill Jalen Walker.
Come on, those windows didn't kill Jalen Walker. Going peacefully protests, absolutely,
(09:41):
but you're causing gamage to buildings that had nothing to
do with this young man's death. It's ridiculous. And some
of these videos that are being sent to me, these individuals,
a couple of them don't even look like you and I.
They're tearing up signs, breaking windows off the city trucks,
catching dumpster, gonna fire, and they're being escorted out by
(10:02):
other right knee and said leave here. You don't belong here.
So y'are coming in and trying to mix up confusion
and all. We wanted some justice, but we're gonna be
peaceful in our justice. Don't come in here and act
like y'all care about what happened to this young man
like we do. We care. You're coming in here to
break in some places, steal a couple of things and
(10:23):
say do some TikTok videos that y'all broke up some
windows stopping. I'm very upset about that. And it's not
even about the building. It's about respect, respect that families wishes.
And they have said that time and time again themselves.
They said it through their attorneys, they said it through
other family members who are at these protests. This is
(10:45):
what you'll choose to do. Stop it doing that. It's
not about Jamil. That's right, and we're saying it, and
we're gonna keep saying it. It don't make no cond
of sense. There is multiple ways to get at the
type of justice that we're talking about, and burning up
other people's community is not the way, because you know
who's gonna hurt, council lating the citizens of Akron. Absolutely.
(11:06):
One of the buildings downtown a business just open, owned
by young black men who owns another business in the community.
Great kid. He called me days before and said, what
do you think I should do? He was nervous. He
just moved downtown, and it hurt my heart to have
to tell him, part up your builty. I'd rather he
be safety. Sorry. And then they showed videos. There's a
(11:27):
white guy standing outside his a builty looking at it,
trying to think what he was gonna do to it,
but they had already boardered it up. And that's to
me the kind of things we don't need to happen here.
Like those people are not about justice. You have these
radicals who claim they care about justice and injustices, but
then this is the thing that you do. Yeah, it's foolishness,
(11:48):
is what it is. We're gonna ask you one more time,
one more good time. The family of Jalen Walker has
asked everyone to be peaceful in their protests. Adhere to
they're asking you to do or don't come. Keep your
behind where you where you live. Make a phone call
to the governor, make a phone call to the senator,
make a phone call to your congressman, and tell them
(12:11):
that we want justice here. But if you wan't come
to try to burn our city down, don't come. Don't come,
don't come. That's it. And if you live in Akron,
please do not fall into this trap, right because that
suffering is going to hurt the citizens, the residents, the
people who live, work and play in Akron, and these
other foods gonna go back right. You're talking about a
(12:33):
caravan of community members. We had several protests yesterday. We
had one put on by the n A c P.
We had one put on by Second Baptists. We have
the young people from up on Copee Road and we
already know what's going under our neighborhoods. They got together
and they caravan downtown, I mean a caravan and seeing
cars and people, and they came down there peacefully. And
(12:55):
then you get a couple of knuckleheads who want to
engage and weave their way through their peaceful protesting and
reak hath it that turns into officers tear gassing people.
Now caravan the police officers now going down the street
throughing tear gassing people because you had these people, these
(13:17):
individuals came in with their own agenda does and disrupted
what these young people have put together. Now we've learned
about the National Guard coming in, we got to send
out letters saying stay away because the only thing you're
doing is throwing gasoline on something that's already simmering. Hearing
you correctly, the National Guard has been called into the
(13:37):
city of Akron. They have been called and not deployed.
So what me, as the Black electors of Summer County did,
We sent out a letter saying we don't need them here.
We don't need them here. We can utilize the ones
that are already here, and we need to call on
another municipality to help in that. Then then that's what
we do for peace and calm. There's don't need to
(13:58):
calling people who are just going to intensify and they're
gonna escalate it. That's only going to escalate it, just
like then putting a blue line across the police department
windows when they know protesters are out there at night.
Why even escalate the situation when you know people are angry,
upset and hurdy. Yeah, there's no need to do that.
(14:19):
And again, let the investigation go where it goes exactly.
That's it. Accountability, transparency. The investigation must take place, and
there needs to be multiple because this is a very
difficult a situation. We get it, very difficult situation. Good
God a mighty again. I am joined by a councilwoman,
(14:39):
Tara Mosley. We are giving a recap of the shooting
death of Jalen Walker, twenty five years old. He was
shot to death on Monday by Akron Police. There were
eight police officers involved. According to the corner, sixty bullets
hit Jalen's body. The attorneys for Jalen's family has estimated
(15:00):
that there were ninety shots fired. I know that the
police chief council lady said during the press conference that
they weren't quite sure, you know, how many shots were fired,
but they were gonna become closer to that. So I
just want the people who are joining us to know
that the attorneys for Jalen's family, they estimated that there
were ninety shots fired. But the corner has absolutely said
(15:23):
that sixty bullets hit Jalen's body. We're also told that
CPR or some stuff was you know what, I'm not
even gonna go there, yea, how the unholy hell? You're
not really you came down with resuscitate somebody, You just
in sixty bullets then riddle their bodies. Well, he had
(15:46):
a pause and that was his wood leaving his body.
You can't shoot someone at any times and expect them
to live. And then they handcuffed him. You handcuffed his
lifeless body. And I think that's the part is making
it really hard for me as a human being stepping
out of my capacity as a councilperson, as a human being.
(16:06):
You don't even treat an animal like that. If you're
deer hunting, you would do that to a deer. But
you do this to the two five year old man
who was running away. He didn't turn aim and fire.
I know that's what everybody thought and wanted to believe.
He was running away and the weapon was found in
the car. Again, let us repeat for people in the
(16:27):
in the back that in Ohio you can open carry,
and now you can open carry without even letting notifying
the police at a traffic top. You have no legal
obligation in the great state of Ohio to tell that
you have a weapon. I mean, it's just got worse
in this state, right really. You know, I've said it
and I'll say it again, and I know some of
(16:48):
my residents took payment me for saying it. In the
state of Ohio this is open carry. But black people
are allowed to own guns too. I'm not a gun person.
I'm not, and everybody goes it, but I'm never gonna
take the rights away from someone who wants to be
a legal gun owner. So he legally was allowed to
own a gun. Now, where the gun was positioned in
(17:08):
the car is still up for debate for me, because
being an analyst and coming from a law firm where
that's what I did was just analyzed situations. I'm having
a hard time believing a young man who was driving
so fast, weaving in and out of streets that the
gun was just sitting so neatly in that position and
he had to slide across the seat from his driver's
(17:30):
seat to run out of his passenger seat. So you're
telling me that gun and his ring was just sitting
here all just so pristine. See, these are the questions
that now that are keeping me up because now I'm
sitting and I'm rewatching every video and I'm just concerned.
I'm very concerned, and those who protect the Blueline should
be concerned to because a lot of you all are
(17:51):
great officers, but issues like this is what makes people
think you're all bad. And I correct to say that
there's no video footage of inside the car, like no
cam footage has been released yet has been released, but
I'm sure someone would have body camera on went into
the car, and I would just assume that that would
(18:12):
be part of the footage. That should have been released
within that seven day period. Him allegedly being resuscitated should
have been on someone's body camera. I would assume that
that footage should have been released within seven days as well,
at least that's what our charter says. Has there been
any test that you know of of gun residue? I mean,
I think most people know that when you shoot a gun,
(18:33):
that leaves residue on you. Is there any indication that
Jalen's body has been tested if it can be with
all those shots to his body for gun residue on
his hands. We have not heard that part yet. But
how can you test it when he he's been shot
over sixty something times, She's clearly gonna have some kind
of residue all over him. So I don't, I don't.
(18:54):
That hasn't been reported to us here. We are asking
calling for calm and peace and justice, a full investigation. Again.
The city has asked higher Bureau of Criminal Investigation to
take over the investigation, which is a wise thing to do.
(19:15):
You have elected officials and other activists and leader thought
leader types like myself included calling on the Attorney General
the United States of American the Department of justice to
get involved and to investigate the shooting. They've been lots
of articles written since about police training. Is this calling
to question the type of training. Why wasn't de escalation
(19:38):
tactics utilized? You know all of the things that I
think people have a right to ask. We do know
that in the heat of the moment, there's something that
takes over folks. Obviously when you are in law enforcement.
That moment that happened to Jalen, I mean that was
I dare not even use the world I'm not even
gonna say what I'm thinking. Let's just say this. We
(20:00):
needed a thorough investigation to take place, and we needed
to happen right away. So because you sent me some pictures,
I'm trying to stay PG. You know, you said some photographs.
So there were protesters that went to the mayor's house
to talk to us about that. Yeah, So there was
a rally at a local business in post proximity, and
(20:22):
afterwards they marched to the mayor's house. Now, let me
say this on the forefront. I am not about anybody
going to anybody's house. I've had that happen to me.
My house got paid for by taxpayer money, nor as
his So I'm always going to be against that. But
the fact that we have so much going on in
our city and to see almost two dozen police officers
(20:47):
and squares lined up on his lawn was very, very
disturbing for people to send to us. We got a
lot going on in our city right now. They went
there peacefully to protests, and they had some demands. They
laid Wonder Devil strip. They did not go into his
lawn at all. But just to see that as that picture,
that's scene in itself, and to see this young person
(21:09):
standing up there with that sign in front of one
of the bobcasts that we owned. City council approved. We
approved that, but we also approved it knowing that it
would not be used to intimidate people. And it was
very intimidating to see that they're in front of the house.
It looked like a war zone. With me, the way
the officers are lined up in front of them's house,
(21:29):
I almost didn't think this was the city acron I
was looking at. Yeah, And again, I I'm totally against
people go on other people's houses protests, whether it would
have happened to me or not. I just think it's
yourself in a different kind of harms way when you
do that. But the scene is seeing that when we
have so much going on in our city, so many
(21:52):
other unsolved homicides going on in our city, and people
calling saying that they are having a hard time when
they called for police, get in a response, but then
a good two dozen of them. But it's not the
best use of tax dollars when you've gotta hold city counsel.
Have you and other elected leaders thought about the trauma
care you know, mental health? Is a city offering anything
(22:15):
to residents of Akron who may be rightfully so overwhelmed
by all of this in the form of counseling. I
have not seen them do that, but they need to
because this is traumatic for everyone. I mean, it's a trigger.
It's a trigger for people who have lost loved ones
to gun violence. It's a trigger to people who may
have lost loved one to police gun violence. It's a
(22:38):
trigger for people who lost loved ones to high speed chases. Um,
it's a trigger. It makes you sit and start reflecting
on all of that negative energy, and they need you.
They absolutely need to have something set up where people
can have those conversations about what they're feeling, and I
don't think anyone has done that. Check. Yeah, I totally
agree with that. And again, you know the ay that
(23:00):
Jalen is being portrayed. I know that his family has
objected to it, and the attorney because now you know,
they're trying to malign his character. Whatever happened, and that's
why we need to throw investigation. Councilay, you and I
don't know all. We know what we saw in the
in the videos. We know that that's not all. But
(23:22):
what we can say with great surety is that police
officers are not here to be judge, jury and executioner.
That is what we have the courts for. And Jaalin
should have had the benefit of being able to go
to court and stand before a judge. So whatever this investigation,
(23:45):
you know, brings the light, the fact of the matter
is sixty bullets hit this young man's body sixty And
I in any of those videos, again, maybe I'm missing something.
I did not see any de escalation tactics being deployed
it and we need to understand that it has to
be brought into it to the forefront for all police training.
(24:07):
De Escalation has to be part of training and it's
not I mean they just they just had a thing. Well,
one of the police stations got in trouble because during
their training their target practice, their targets are black men.
Who does that? I chaired Reimagining Public Safety Personnel Culture,
and I specifically said two things that I thought were
(24:28):
paramount Get rid of the aid requirement because older people
make different decisions because their seasoned. And I think there
would have been a lot more rational thinking if there
would have been someone older or veteran in the scope
of everything that happened. And there, in my understanding, there
were no veteran officers out there at all. To there
needs to be diversity in those police cars. I don't
(24:51):
care how they come up with the system of putting
officers in the car. That system needs to be one
black officer, one white officer, you know white, because they'll
learn from each other. And if you're dealing with a
white officer who's never interacted with black people, that black
person in the car can give him some insight on
how to deal with us, to deal with our neighborhood
and vice versa. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully, Yeah, we got issues
(25:13):
there too, But I think will you have a yang
in a gang in the car and they can have
conversations with each other about upbringing and things that they
see within the community. I think it just helps the
situation even more. You you can't have people paired up
with each other and then you have an instance like
what just happened with Jaalen Walker and the first thing
out of their mouth is I feared for my life.
(25:34):
And again, like I said in our last meeting, do
not be a police officer if that's gonna be the
first thing you interject when something happens. There was not
like you guys walked into a situation where you guys
are being ambushing someone. There's a person or persons with
with weapons shooting at you. He was running away, retreating. Yeah,
(25:57):
and that scenario has happened. I mean police officers have
been and Bush absolutely and that's wrong. It's absolutely wrong.
This was not that situation. He was running away, my god,
running away, I tell you. But they can bring in,
you know, all matter of white supremacists. This is just
a shot up you know Buffalo or you know the
(26:19):
top store in Buffalo or Yeah, I mean it's just amazing,
the Burger King, It's amazing. Whig while you sit here
and wait and again. We do not want white men
to be treated like black men. We want black men
to be treated like white men. How about that. We
(26:40):
have a serious problem in the United States of America.
My last point on this consulating whatever you want to say,
tell people what they should be doing, how they can
get involved and help. I want to remind folks that
in the state of Ohio, we had a task force
called Ohio Task Force on Community and Police Relations that
happened after they're the murder of Tamor Rights on the
(27:02):
playground in ten in the city of Cleveland. Governor Kasik
put together this task force. I was one of the
co chairs of the task force, myself and his Director
of Public Safety, John Borne. We had a task force
that had people from all walks of life, different ages,
different professions, including law enforcement, and for the first time
(27:25):
in the state's history, we put together standards and the
first standard we dealt with was the use of deadly force.
What happened to Jalen Walker was the use of deadly force.
Not of course standards can I totally prevent, but it
was definitely a step in the right direction. So my
question to Akron police and to the Acron Mayor and
(27:47):
to the citizens of Akron to ask the mayor and
the police chief, where is the city of Akron with
regards to those standards that were put in place for
the use of force and the use of deadly force.
That's what I wanted, because something is missing. I understand
that we've been joined by Dr Akbar has just popped in,
So before we go, we wanna allow him an opportunity
(28:10):
to express himself here. Uh, Dr Bar, thank you so
much for joining us and for being such a wonderful
public servant in the city of Akron. And then also
before we leave, I just want us to tackle what
just happened in Illinois. Just briefly. I'm just gonna tell
people what's going on. This has been a hell of
a Fourth of July weekend. I'll say that, doctor, go
(28:32):
right ahead. I appreciate it. I mean, we really are
taking so many steps back. It is unreal. It's hard,
really to grapple with what I saw on the video.
You know, when you think about being a black man,
especially a young black man at that, and to constantly
see this attack on us, it's it's unreal. And then
(28:55):
to know that even when you're an elected office, your
voice is still minimized, and people still think that you
don't have anything to contribute. It really is a sad day.
What I'm asking for everyone to do is two things. One,
this is not a one sided issue. Let's not try
to demonize or abilify Jalen Walker. That is not what
(29:20):
we should be doing. You know, we shouldn't even be focused.
You know, there unfortunately there's people who are saying, well,
he shot at the police. Here's my thing. I don't
necessarily want to deny it, but I do find it
hard to believe that if a person who's right handed
able to drive straight, reach over their body outside of
(29:41):
a window, first unroll the window, shoot outside the window,
then roll the window back up. Those are actions that
doesn't sit well with me. It doesn't seem logical. But
even if those things happen, we should all expect our
police department and police off to the highest accountability of
(30:03):
what they do with that deadly want weapon. We all
should be focused on that. And if you saw what
I saw at the moment where even if you feel
like you needed to use your gun once or twice
he was on the ground, they were still shooting. You know,
that's inhumane. So I just wanted to say that at
(30:25):
some point we have to bring humanity and civility into
the conversation around what we should expect from each other
from looking at each other. But if you don't see
me as human, you're never going to see what I
saw as being wrong. That is absolutely right in the
constant now we're talking about, especially the high speeds that
he was driving. But you bring up a good point.
(30:47):
Let the investigation direct us because if it is found
to be true, still when he got out of that car,
he was running away, So let him live and have
his day in court. Right. That's what courts are for,
(31:08):
have they the a That's that's what we're supposed to
be a system where people get a chance to go
before judge in the United States of America. But when
it comes to black people, especially black men, the rules
of engagement are different. So even if he is found
to have been doing something wrong, he still is entitled
(31:29):
under our system to have a day in court. Jesus,
and you know the councilating now and I'm calling on
black Jesus right now. It wasn't like, you know, he
didn't ambush them or any of that kind of stuff.
We know that there are situations where people want to
get into a shootout and all that with the police.
That was not the case here. And Dr bar just
hearing you say even when his body was on the ground,
(31:51):
they were still shooting, you know what, because they were
so caught up in shooting they couldn't stop shooting. Well,
once you deem somebody as a villain, it's hard for
you to unsee that. If that's the lens that you're
you have, it's hard to unsee that. And I just
want to just express that Jalen Walker's family and all
(32:12):
really all the families in America deserve better, and they
deserve all of us to be praying for them to
uplift them. But our community is hurting, and you know,
we can be the example of how to get it
right in America. A tragic, terrible, devastating situation has happened.
(32:34):
We can't change that, but we can change what we
do afterwards. We can't keep talking, we can't keep asking
the same people to come to the table at a taste.
We we have actions. I mean, there's so many task
forces and so many reports that already give us the
answers of what to do, but do we have the
will to do it? That's the question. You know. That
(32:57):
means you're gonna see some power, You're gonna to see
some control. You're going to disagree with some of the
things that need to happen, but they need to happen.
So just to recap for everyone, and I am joined
with two illustrious activists elected officials in the city of Akron.
(33:22):
I'm glad to call them my friend at his Councilwoman
Tara Mosley and Dr Akbar who is the president of
the Akron School Board. And I am so really glad
that they both are here this evening to give us
an update on what is happening in the city of Akron.
Many of you know that Jalen Walker was shot to
death on Monday in Akron. This occurred between the started
(33:46):
at twelve thirty am in the North Hill community a
chase and the chase ended at Firestone Park. The city
has since released the video footage. There are a lot
more questions than there are answers right now, and the
city is called for an investigation, for the High Bureau
of Criminal Investigations to take over an investigation, and the
(34:06):
black elected officials of Summit County, of which council Lady
Mosley is a part of and also dr Akbar are
calling on the Department of Justice to enter into this investigation.
They also released a press release based on some of
the violence that has taken place, the property damage that
has taken place in Akron, they released a press release
asking people to not engage in acts of violence. This
(34:32):
directive is mainly came from the family first. And you know,
dr Akbar, I don't know if you want to say
a few words about that consulating now where like these
foods are not honoring the wishes of the family, nor
are they honoring Jalen by tearing up property in the
city of Akron, No, they're not. But the other thing
of the about this, and I don't want to make
(34:54):
light a property damage at all, but I also want
to think about the weight that are outrage on property
damage ways on people when we have someone's life at stake,
as by his life who has been taken, and that
same level of outrage isn't taken with the officers, for example.
(35:18):
So I know that there's procedures around suspending them with
pay administratively all of those things, but at the end
of the day, sometimes doing what's right means going against
what that policy says, because the policy is really set
to protect the system, is not to protect you and I,
which is sad. So we you know, at some point
(35:40):
we do need to say that this is not right.
So some action. Maybe it's not that one, but some
action from the city and from the police needs to
take place. And also I just want to also point
out that that press release was asking for calm and peace,
but more importantly it also was telling uh and demanding
the mayor not to call in the National Guard, which
(36:03):
he was attempting to do. And so I just want
to put that out there as well. We don't need
greater escalation here, and we do not need millerization. We
need peace and we need action. That's exactly right. I
want you to jump here. But I'm gonna say this
to Dr burn I do understand me. Dr King said
that rioting was how that those who felt voiceless and helpless,
(36:26):
that's how they were being heard. You know what, I'm
paraphrasing what he's saying, and so I get all of that.
All I'm saying is that the family asked for this
not to happen. We outrage, and we all are willing
to do something to make sure that the things change.
A lot of these people that are burning down stuff,
they just there for theater see. And so the family asked,
(36:48):
and for me, that's good enough. They said, don't do this.
They didn't want it. And people are doing it, and
the people who are gonna get hurt are the people
who actually live, work and play in Akron. But I
hear you. Dr and Reverend Dr. Luther King Jr. Recognized
that things could get to such a fervor that a
all bets are off. I get that too, but it
still does not make it okay. I'm not condoning violence. No,
(37:11):
I didn't take it that way. No, I know. What
I'm saying is at some point we have to put
in perfective that property can be replaced, but the human
life can't, and so we should be even more outraged,
and we are. We are now. The ball is in
the mayor's courts, that's what you're saying. Right In two
thousand and twelve, when Melissa and Timothy were shot, you
(37:35):
all remember a hundred thirty seven shots. You can watch
the documentary on Netflix. It was mayor Jackson who called
in the department is just said, y'all need to come
in here. See that's the difference. May Jackson said, I
need you all to come in here. It was Mayor
Jackson who tried to get the mainstream media to pick
up on what happened. That's the difference. So leadership does matter,
(37:57):
and you damn right this Mayor. He needs to show
the outrage and and do what needs to be done, Okay,
and let the chips fall where they may on the
other side of this. That's that's what needs to happen.
Many thorough investigation, everybody, thorough investigation. Counselad you get closed
remarks on this, and then I just want to bring
up really briefly what just happened in Illinois. Again. I
(38:19):
want to encourage the residents and outsiders in the city
of Actor visiting the city of Akron. Jalen Walker's family
has called for peace and we will continue to peacefully protest,
and that is what they want. That's what they have
asked for and we are going to respect those wishes.
If you really want justice for Jalen, do it in
(38:39):
a peaceful way, because we do not want to associate
his name with destruction, because we already know how they'll
play that out, and we're not gonna do that. If
you see somebody doing something, send them on their way,
like those young men did last night. They told him
you don't belong here, get out of here. That's what
you do. Send them on their way. But we will
continue to peacefully protest. An absolutely, protests. Don't just go
(39:01):
and take a couple of pictures and say you went
down there. This has has to keep continuing on or
it's just gonna happen again and again and again. We're
gonna be right back here again having the same conversation
when it happens in another city, another town near you.
So again, peacefully protests, but protests absolutely, and it is
gonna happen again because this keeps happening over and over
(39:22):
and over again. It has to be a reckoning in
this country. And accuring is just yet another example of
our unfinished business in the United States of America when
it comes to policing. So this same nightmare is gonna
play out over and over and over again unless we
read the collective, we do something about it. So this
week in America, let me sum this up. This week
(39:42):
in America. A ten year old Ohio girl is forced
to travel to Indiana to have access to abortion care.
Ohio is participating in child abuse. A ten year old
girl was raped. Ohio is a trigger law state, so
that when the United States Supreme Court abolished Roe v. Wade,
(40:03):
overturned Roe v. Wade, she could not get an abortion.
She was raped. Wt F. She was raped, and she
was a little a few days over six weeks and
she had to be carted off to Indiana to get up.
God damn abortion. I said it. She's a baby. Child
(40:27):
abuse in Ohio, MO fols need to be ashamed in themselves.
Also this week in America, cops shot Jalen Walker. The
coroner has affirmed that sixty bullets pierced his body. And
then in a suburban community in Illinois, multiple people were
shot and killed at during a Fourth of July parade. Now,
(40:48):
we are not helpless, So people shot, people injured. You
can't even go to a parade in America with your family.
We are not helpless here. We can do something about this.
All of these are policy decisions, and so there are
plenty of ways that people can use their rage and
turn that rage into action and hold these elected officials
(41:10):
accountable and make sure that there are consequences that they
ain't getting back in unless they're gonna use the power
to lift the people of this nation. We gotta take this.
I hope everybody mad as hell. You decided you're not
gonna take this no more. It's ridiculous. Well, Nina, even
on piggybacking on what you said about Highland Park. I'm
looking on gun by US archive. It says thirty one
(41:33):
people were injured, six killed. My understanding nine, that condis
went up to nine dead now. Well as of Mansouri,
this is this is all. The fourth of July, Missouri,
four people shot in a mass shooting. Again in Chicago,
fourth of July, five people shot in another mass shooting. Virginia,
(41:54):
six people shot in the mass shooting. That's just today.
These are all policy decisions, and we got for here
who cling to these guns like they God, I don't
want to make no changes. We got what happened in Buffalo.
We ain't talking about Buffalo no more, Council Lady, we
don't even talk about Buffalo on the next one. And
(42:17):
because it's so many we came. We can't keep up.
These things must change, and they can change. They can
They start with us within our communities, and also elected
officials have a role to play. These are policy decisions.
And if these people are too cowardice because they are
controlled by their owner donors to do they can't do
nothing for the people, then we need to get rid
of them. They need to go go away. Right As
(42:40):
of today, three hundred and nine mass shootings have happened
in America. This is America, welcome and other industrialized nations
are looking at us like we some damn fools because
we are to continue to allow this kind of mayhem
to take place. And don't forget we still we're still
in the pandemic. I know people think rowing up, they've
done with Rona, but Rona ain't done with us. It's
(43:02):
other iterations of Rona. People are still suffering. Got the inflation.
People can't afford their food, they can't afford gas. Life
is happening to people. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, you know
Dot before you got out here. As the council lady
was the city of Acrant offering any counseling for residents
who who need it. As she said, people are going
through trauma, hell we need the United States of America
(43:23):
to provide some some damn counseling because everybody is going
through trauma in this country. And it's called Medicare for All.
Because if we have Medicare for all, the people get
the mental health services they need. No questions asked y'all
to set me off today. I wasn't trying to go here,
but we got our own fireworks going. Then they get
off your asses and do something. And it's called both
(43:44):
the people in and get the other ones out. That's
it wrong all day long. Republicans and these weak need Democrats, citizens,
sleeping giants need to wake up. We need to make
some demands, all right, anything else for the good of
the order, We're gonna go because I'm just getting more
more heated as we as we continue this conversation. Well,
thank you for continuing to amplify Jalen Walker's name, because
(44:09):
it needs to be amplified. He's not going to just
be another name, another mark. We're gonna make sure that
we get justice for him and uplift his name in
the process. Absolutely, man, DOTRK Bar. I just want people
to remember that this was not a personhood had a
life of crime. This was a standout wrestler who graduated
(44:30):
from book to high school. This could have been any
one of us. Just needs to recognize that we need
more humanity, more compassion, and a system that works for
all of us. In order to do that, the system
has to see us true that and we do need
more humanity. And again, we always got to explain the
(44:50):
character of the black person that was shot, and I'm
sick of that too, because you don't do that for
white people. We don't explain how good and wholesome they were.
But this is America, This, this is this has been
the plight of black folks since the beginning. We got
to humanize Jalen for him to get some sympathy here
and whether or not, let the investigation reveal what it reveals.
(45:12):
But we got courts. That's what the court system is for.
If it is fired that Jalen was doing anything wrong,
and guess what. Ain't nobody perfect, but by the grace
of God, it could be in any of us. So
nobody is perfect because some of our stuff don't come
all the way out like that. And that's not to
say I don't know if Jalen was doing something wrong
or not. I don't let the investigation bear it out,
(45:35):
but sixty but right doesn't matter. That's what the court
is for. Right. But now we gotta sit here and
humanize this young man. Y'all better check yourself, America before
you wrecked yourself. As somebody wants say, they're better be
glad that black people only want justice and not revenge.
I'm gonna say amen and amen and amen to that.
Thank you all for joining us. I want to thank
(45:57):
you both for being the type of public service that
you are and you're courage to speak out and to
speak a certain type of truth that many people do
not have the courage to do because they gotta check
whether or not as politically expedient. I love you both,
and as you know, I am here for my sisters
and my brothers and my family and friends in Akron.
I'm sending love and peace you all. You do the same,
and those of you who can be a part of
(46:18):
the solution, please do so, not just for the city
of Akron, for Jalen's family, but for other families that
are suffering all across this country for various reasons. We
are in a traumatic time and human history right now
in this moment, And just because that is the reality
today does not mean that it has to be the
reality tomorrow. So all of us have a great and
necessary work to do very thing the time. Yeah, change
(47:06):
is coming. The pain is nothing trying to shoot for
the stars. If you're gonna, ain't for something. To embrace
the love for your brother and sister. You need these
the mission brush. We need to puzzle this, pictures painted
up and frame it up for the world to see.
Hain't to hate it up. Enough is enough, It's enough
making changes enough in turn of a voice of the
truth to rose world. Despire the youth to keep their
(47:27):
eyes on the roof. It's the end. Never give up,
keep conquering goals to the eye. Intelligence, silver, wisdom is gold.
Back to the end. Now it is your time. Stay firm,
don't fold to the a or you need is the
three bones. That's what Grannie said. Now I'm gonna make
sure these words from Grannie spread for all the hair
to give it your air. She can take him to
the promised man. I swear world pieces what they fear
(47:48):
from Queen's the Cleveland, Ohio were here famous, turning somebody
you need to turn white, spanning Somebody ship in eternally
tell somebody turning times points has charge charls on our hands,
(48:21):
Well not Hello Somebody is a production of I Heart
Radio and the Black Effect Network. For more podcast from
our heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast,
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