Statement from Bobby DiCello and Kenneth Abbarno, Walker Family Legal Team
The family of Jayland Walker and the Walker family legal team expresses its thanks and wholehearted support for a letter sent this week by 43 Akron faith and community leaders to Chief of Police, Steve Mylett, condemning the reinstatement of the eight officers currently under investigation for the June shooting and killing of Jayland Walker.
Chief Mylett’s justification of his decision that a department staffing shortage makes their reinstatement necessary is disrespectful to the community and the Walker family, not to mention terribly short-sighted. It is the very definition of hypocrisy for Chief Mylett to claim, as he has previously, that his department is working hard to build trust among Akron’s minority communities, and then make a callous decision like this that fosters further distrust of the Akron Police Department among this population, while jeopardizing the legitimacy of BCI’s investigation.
The Walker family has been told repeatedly to be peaceful, allow the investigation of the eight officers to take place, and believe in the process. And while they have done that, the Chief has decided to reinstate the officers who killed Jayland and has, tragically, misrepresented the feedback he received from local clergy before taking that step.
For the full advisory that includes the letter from Akron’s faith and community leaders to Chief Mylett, view here.