“Justice for Jayland. Justice for Jayland. Justice for Jayland.”

The chant, led by Jayland Walker’s mother Pamela, rang out across the parking lot of St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on the second anniversary of his killing as friends, supporters and family members gathered to keep alive the memory of the man gunned down by Akron police in 2022. 

Pamela Walker spoke into the microphone while balancing herself with a cane. 

“I just really can’t believe so many people came out to give us love and to help us when they could be doing other things,” she said. “That’s love right there, that’s love, and I appreciate and love all of y’all.”

Pamela Walker, the mother of Jayland Walker.
Pamela Walker, the mother of Jayland Walker, who was killed by Akron police two years ago, wipes away a tear after speaking to a crowd at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The church held a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event, with most of the attendees launching lanterns with sentiments written on them to remember Jayland Walker. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

Surrounded by family members and with her daughter, Jada, offering support at her side, Pamela said, “One thing I want to say, and I want everybody to say, and keep this in their mind, is justice, justice, justice for my baby.“ The crowd joined in the chant. 

Every year, something to remember Jayland Walker

“It’s a tragedy that impacted the community, the family will never forget this,” Pastor Robert DeJournett told Signal Akron. “Every year we want to do something in memory of Jayland Walker, we want his name to continue to ring out. We’re praying that something good will come out of such a horrific, tragic event.”

DeJournett is the pastor at St. Ashworth’s, the longtime church of the Walker family. He gave Signal Akron a tour of the church’s Superintendent Louis C. Walker Memorial Prayer Room, which is named after Jayland’s uncle, who served as pastor there from 1991 to 2008. 

Robert DeJourrnett, pastor at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard.
Robert DeJournett, pastor at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard, speaks to a gathering in the church’s parking lot during “Light Up the Streets for Justice” Thursday. The event was held to remember Jayland Walker, DeJournett’s nephew, who was killed on June 27 two years ago by Akron police. Most of the attendees launched lanterns with sentiments written on them. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

DeJournett highlighted the memorials on the wall of all the Walkers connected to the church, including deacons Johnnie Walker, Sylvester Walker, and RB Walker. Next to a large black-and-white photo of Louis Walker, DeJournett pointed out the empty spot where his own portrait will go once he passes away.

“We want people to remember and to stand with the family as we remember Jayland,” DeJournett continued. “His mom, Pam, she said, ‘I don’t want people to forget,’ so every year we’re going to do something to honor his name, lift his name up.” 

Family’s attorney hints at impending settlement of lawsuit

Attorney Bobby DiCello, who is representing Walker’s family in a federal lawsuit against the City of Akron, spoke to the roughly 200 attendees about how resilient the Walker family has been in the wake of Jayland’s killing. DiCello alluded to an imminent settlement in the high-profile lawsuit that will result in “accountability,” “fairness,” “collaboration” and “community.” 

DiCello said he couldn’t provide specifics to the crowd, but he hinted that a settlement of the lawsuit and “accountability” was coming. 

“When you look in the eyes of a city leader and they know that you all have been out there cheering, you all have been out there parading, you have been out there saying things that make a difference – they were afraid of you,” DiCello told the crowd. 

Judi Hill, president of the Akron chapter of the NAACP
Judi Hill, president of the Akron chapter of the NAACP, speaks during a memorial event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on the two-year anniversary of Jayland Walker’s death. At right is Traci Person, the organizer of the event and at far right is Bobby DiCello, the Walker family’s attorney. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

“They respected the power that you brought on behalf of the Walker family. So today, while it is a tragic day in memory, it is an important day for social justice,” he said. “It is an important day because it commemorates when you all stood for this family, and this family stood for peace.

“And change is on the way, I promise you that.”

Eight police officers fired 94 rounds at Walker on June 27, 2022, striking him 46 times, after a car chase and brief foot pursuit. The killing, and the exoneration of the officers who killed him, led to widespread protests in the city. 

Akron NAACP President Judi Hill spoke to the crowd and lauded federal legislation announced by U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes earlier in the day that, if enacted, would require the Department of Justice to create “real-life, scenario-based training curriculum” for better policing and community relations.

Traci Person, who organized a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ.
Traci Person, who organized a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The gathering was a remembance of Jayland Walker, who was killed two years by Akron police. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

Memorial lanterns rise into the sky, mostly

Thursday night’s organizers handed out dozens of paper lanterns that attendees wrote messages on to remember Jayland  before they turned them into tiny hot air balloons and launched them into the sky above the church. The lanterns were the idea of longtime community organizer Traci Person.

“The lighting of the lanterns is a petition that we’re going to send,” Person told Signal Akron. “We’re going to send these petitions up to the heavens because Akron is in need of intervention. We have to take charge of the streets, and we are going to use every option we have as far as sending out prayers and being intentional with a visual to let the City of Akron know that we are still fighting and that we are still out here.”

Paper lanterns, one saying "Justice for Jayland" and the other "R.I.P. Black Man" rise into the sky.
Paper lanterns, one saying “Justice for Jayland” and the other “R.I.P. Black Man” rise into the sky June 27, 2024, at St. Ashworth Temple church on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The church held a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event where most of the attendees launched lanterns with sentiments written on them to remember Jayland Walker., who was killed two years ago on June 27, 2022, by Akron police. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

The lantern ignition process didn’t go off as smoothly as desired, with some failing to launch and a few getting stuck while still on fire in branches of the huge tree in front of the church. 

“Everybody move to the street,” DeJournett joked as he urged people to release the lanterns further away from the building. “I need this church for Sunday.”

Eventually, though, people got the hang of it, and many of the message-adorned lanterns floated into the cloudless evening sky over Akron.

(Left to right) Bernadine Sims and Tina Oden open up their paper lanterns.
(Left to right) Bernadine Sims and Tina Oden open up their paper lanterns before the start of a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The event was held to remember Jayland Walker, who was killed two years on June 27, 2022, by Akron police. Most of the attendees launched lanterns with sentiments written on them. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
Pamela Walker writes a message to her son, Jayland Walker, on a paper lantern.
Pamela Walker writes a message to her son, Jayland Walker, on a paper lantern that she later tried to send skyward — at right, her daughter Jada writes her own message. The lanterns were part of a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The gathering memorialized Jayland Walker, who was killed two years on June 27, 2022, by Akron police. Pamela Walker’s lantern reads, in part, “Jayland I love and miss you sooo much baby!!! (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
Three attendees at a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event.
Three attendees at a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. wear Justice for Jayland Walker tshirts as they listen to speakers. The event was held to remember Walker, who was killed two years ago by Akron police. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
The Rev. Raymond Greene, the executive director of Freedom Bloc.
The Rev. Raymond Greene, the executive director of Freedom Bloc, speaks to the crowd at a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The event was held to remember Jayland Walker,, who was killed two years on June 27, 2022, by Akron police. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
Jada Walker, center, speaks about her brother, Jayland, during a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event.
Jada Walker, center, speaks about her brother, Jayland, during a “Light Up the Streets for Justice” event held at St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. Sitting at left is Jayland’s grandmother, Betty Addie. To the right of Jada is Shalesa Beasley, the mother of Jayland’s fiance, Jaymeisha Beasley, and his mother, Pamela Walker. Jayland Walker was killed two years ago on June 27 by Akron police. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
Paper lanterns in memory of Jayland Walker rise into the sky
Paper lanterns in memory of Jayland Walker rise into the sky above St. Ashworth Temple Church of God in Christ on Vernon Odom Boulevard. The lanterns were part of a commemoration gathering in honor of Walker, who was killed June 27, 2022 by Akron police. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

Government Reporter (he/him)
Doug Brown covers all things connected to the government in the city. He strives to hold elected officials and other powerful figures accountable to the community through easily digestible stories about complex issues. Prior to joining Signal Akron, Doug was a communications staffer at the ACLU of Oregon, news reporter for the Portland Mercury, staff writer for Cleveland Scene, and writer for Deadspin.com, among other roles. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hiram College and a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University.