Akron settles lawsuit for $747,000 filed by people arrested during Jayland Walker protests

The city of Akron reached a settlement of $747,000 in a federal lawsuit filed by people who were arrested during protests of Jayland Walker’s shooting but then had their cases dismissed or were acquitted.

The settlement pertains to 22 people with claims against Akron and Akron police officers.

"I hope what comes out of this is the city and the community understands that public officials and officers are supposed to be protecting free speech and should be listening to the community and not suppressing their voices," said Elizabeth Bonham, one of the Cleveland attorneys representing the people arrested during the protests. "Money alone is never going to heal people when they go through this kind of trauma, but it does the best we can in the justice system, and it does send a message."

Several high-profile activists were among the plaintiffs, including Jacob Blake Sr., Bianca Austin, and Javonna Beasley, the sister of Jaymeisha Beasley, Jayland Walker’s fiancée.

Mayor Shamas Malik said earlier this week that the law department recommended the suit be settled “based on the cost associated with continuing to litigate it.”

Attorneys for the city and the protesters had a status conference with Magistrate Judge James Grimes Jr. Monday afternoon to finalize the details.

The lawsuit, filed last July in U.S. District Court in Akron, claims the city and the UA officers unlawfully arrested people who were expressing themselves or just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were then prosecuted in cases that dragged on for months. All 24 of their cases ultimately were dismissed or resulted in not-guilty verdicts by a jury or judge.

The first payment in the settlement will be made Feb. 23, according to court records.

The settlement includes compensation, fees and costs. Akron will make two payments, with the plaintiffs receiving their shares right away, Bonham said.

A claim against a Summit County sheriff's deputy who was assisting Akron police during the protests was dropped, Bonham said.

The lawsuit will continue for two people who were arrested by University of Akron officers.

Protests follow Walker's shooting and grand jury decision

Walker was shot 46 times by eight Akron officers on June 27, 2022, after fleeing from police first by car and then on foot. He was unarmed, though he fired a gun outside of his window while fleeing from police and the officers later said they thought he might still have a weapon. A gun was found on the seat of his car after the shooting.

After the city released body-worn camera footage of Walker's shooting, people gathered in downtown Akron several times to protest. More than 50 people were arrested over the Fourth of July weekend, with police deploying tear gas and paper spray to disperse the crowds. Several downtown businesses were damaged and fires were started.

A special grand jury in Summit County Common Pleas Court decided April 17 against indicting the Akron officers who shot Walker. This led to additional protests, though they weren't as large as the demonstrations last summer and didn't result in as many arrests.

Lawsuit focused on arrests during protests in July 2022

The lawsuit, filed last July in U.S. District Court in Akron, pertained to people arrested between July 3 and July 7, 2022.

The suit named the city, former Mayor Dan Horrigan, former Chief Steve Mylett, 17 police supervisors, numerous Akron officers and detectives, as well as three University of Akron officers and one Summit County Sheriff's deputy who assisted Akron police with responding to the protests.

The claims in the suit include excessive force, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, supervisory liability, assault and battery, abuse of process and breach of duty.

The lawsuit sought compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and costs, as well as injunctive relief against the city for its "unlawful policies and training for the Akron Police Department."

The suit didn’t seek a specific amount.

Those arrested included well-known activists

Bonham said all 24 of her clients had their cases dismissed or were acquitted, but their cases were pending for months or, for a few, for nearly a year. She said many of them had to miss work and go to court for repeated court appearances.

Most of the protesters were from Northeast Ohio, though a few national activists traveled to Akron to lend their support to the dissent.

This included Blake and Austin, the co-founders of Families United Against Police Brutality.

Blake's son was paralyzed in a police shooting in Wisconsin. Austin is the aunt of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in March 2020 in a botched police raid in Louisville, Kentucky.

Blake had a jury trial that ended with a mistrial, with jurors deadlocked. Prosecutors decided against trying him again and dismissed his charges.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron reaches $747,000 settlement with people arrested during protests