Dr. Lisa Kohler, the Summit County Coroner, said it was impossible for her office to say which bullet killed Walker or the number of shots fired. Walker “had several very catastrophic injuries that would have caused death,” including injuries to his heart, lungs and arteries, Kohler said. He counted 41 entry wounds and five bullet wounds that grazed Walker. Preliminary findings released earlier showed Walker’s body had more than 60 wounds. Greta Johnson, Summit County’s communications director, said Friday that it’s “very likely” a bullet could have caused several different injuries at the entrance. Walker had five wounds to his back, but it’s impossible to say whether they came as he ran or turned as he was shot, Kohler said. The medical examiner provided a summary of Walker’s death report at a news conference. The report was finalized on Thursday. The June 27 pursuit began when officers tried to pull him over for equipment violations. Authorities say Walker fired from his car 40 seconds into the pursuit. Kohler said no illegal drugs or alcohol were found in Walker. The medical examiner’s findings confirm that Walker, unarmed and without drugs or alcohol in his system, “died a brutal, senseless death,” said Ken Abbarno, an attorney representing Walker’s family. Walker was remembered at his funeral Wednesday as a shy, kind, thoughtful man with a quiet sense of humor. Another lawyer for his family previously said Walker was grieving the recent death of his fiancee, but that his family had no indication of concern beyond that. A message seeking comment on the autopsy findings was sent Friday to a spokesperson for the police department. The update comes a day after the NAACP made a direct appeal to Attorney General Merrick Garland to ask the Justice Department to launch a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting death. Police said Walker fled an attempted traffic stop for minor equipment violations and fired shots from his car during the vehicle pursuit, but was unarmed when officers shot him. Police body camera footage shows Walker wearing a ski mask, jumping out of the passenger door of his still-moving car and then running into a parking lot where police opened fire. This blurry video doesn’t clearly show what authorities say was a threatening gesture Walker made before he was shot. An empty handgun, an ammunition clip and what appeared to be a wedding band were found in the front driver’s seat of Walker’s car, authorities said. The officers involved are on paid leave while the state investigates the shooting. Seven of those officers are white and one is black. None of them have a history of discipline, documented complaints or fatal shootings, according to the police department. The local police union said the officers believed there was an imminent risk of serious injury and believes their actions and the number of shots fired will be justified under their training and protocols. Police in neighboring New Franklin Township had tried to stop and then chased a car matching Walker’s for the same minor equipment violations less than 24 hours before the Akron pursuit. A supervisor there called off the pursuit when the car crossed the borough’s border with Akron.
Associated Press writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus contributed to this report.
