Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associated publisher, editor

AKRON, Ohio- On the heels of a no indictment by a Summit County grand jury in a case where eight Akron cops who gunned down 25-year old Jayland Walker shooting 94 bullets as he ran away from police escaped criminal charges, Akron voters on Tuesday chose a new mayor to lead the city of some 190,000 people

A Harvard graduate and first term councilman, Shammas Malik (pictured), 32, was elected the presumptive mayor of Akron in a seven-way, all Democratic nonpartisan primary race, according to unofficial results from the Summit County Board of Elections. And if nobody files to run in the November election, he will run unopposed.

"Change is coming," Malik said during a campaign watch party before supporters and family members, and the media  He also said that safety and youth violence will be a priority during his tenure as mayor.

Malik won with 43.2% of the vote followed by  Akron Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs Marco Sommerville, who got 25.7% . Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Mosley came in third with  17.5% of  the vote and the remaining candidates each received less than eight% of the vote.

Akron's current mayor Dan horrigan, mayor since 2016, did not seek reelection.

How the new minority mayor, a millennia who is of Pakistani and Irish decent. will address the fallout in the  Jayland Walker case remains to be seen.

Last month a largely White, majority female county grand jury issued what is called a no bill after determining that the shooting death was justified and that criminal charges were not warranted.The tragic killing by police of the young Black man from Akron who had no criminal record has drawn national attention to the city that is some 30 miles southeast of Cleveland and the hometown of NBA megastar and Los Angeles Laker LeBron James

The police shooting incident in question occurred following a car and foot chase and traffic stop in June of 2022. No gun was found on Walker's person but police say they later found a gun in his car, and that he allegedly shot at them before jumping out of the car and taking off on foot.  Walker family attorney Bobby DiCello disagrees with the grand jury decision, and was livid with the grand jury's decision not to indict police.

Here's what police and city officials say led up to the police shooting death of Jayland Walker, much of it at odds with what attorneys for the Walker family say allegedly happened

According to the Akron Police Department, at about 12:30 a.m. on June 27, police in Akron attempted to stop Walker for an unspecified traffic violation. Walker did not stop and a chase ensued. The pursuing officers say gunfire came from the vehicle less than a minute into the chase. After several minutes, Walker exited the highway and the chase continued along city streets.

Eventually, Walker's car slowed down, and while the car was still moving, Walker exited from the passenger's side, wearing a ski mask, and ran towards a nearby parking lot. Officers chased Walker and attempted to stop him with a stun gun but were not successful. After about ten seconds of chasing Walker, eight police officers opened fire for six or seven seconds, shooting approximately 94 rounds. Police said that it appeared Walker was turning towards them, and they believed he was armed and "moving into a firing position, a claim the Walker family attorneys dispute

Following the shooting, Walker was put in handcuffs by police and was found with his hands cuffed behind his back when EMTs arrived on the scene. According to police, officers attempted to administer first aid to Walker after he was shot Walker was pronounced dead at the scene. Police claim that a wedding band was found in Walker's car and that Walker may have been acting erratically because he had just lost his fiance in an unrelated car accident Community activists and the Walker family attorneys dispute such assertions and contend that they are nothing but a cover up for a police shooting gone wrong, and that the entire scenario is indicative of a lack of police training and excessive force.

The medical examiner observed 60 wounds on Walker's body, with some uncertainty based on entrance and exit wounds.No firearm was found on Walker's body.The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Walker's death a homicide.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com the most read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and in the Midwest Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

Staff article

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Nancy Ruiz, the mother of Cleveland Seymour Avenue survivor Gina DeJesus who fought with community activists for years to find her missing daughter, will join a list of speakers for the upcoming 10 year anniversary rally of the escape of the Seymour Avenue survivors on Saturday, May 6 at 2207 on Seymour Avenue from noon-2pm where the since demolished home of the late serial rapist Ariel Castro one stood.

Other rally speakers include state Sen Nickie Antonio, state Rep Juanita Brent, Journey Center for Safety and Healing (domestic violence center) CEO Melissa Graves, Cleveland Councilpersons Kevin Conwell and Joe Jones, and activists from the Black Women's Army, Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, Imperial Women Coalition, Young Mothers of Cleveland, Black on Black Crime Inc, Peace in the Hood, Carl Stoke Brigade, and Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights.

May 6 marks the 10-year anniversary since May 6, 2013 of the escape, after a decade of captivity, of Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Amanda Berry from Castro's since demolished Seymour Avenue home on Cleveland's near west side. Castro hanged himself in prison in 2013, a month into a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his criminal deeds, including abduction and rape.

"We are not ready to forget what happened in the 'House of Horrors' on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio and we have unfinished business as to heightened rape and murder and other crimes against innocent women and girls," organizers of the event said.

The activists say the anniversary event will also address the Violence Against Women Act, local, county, statewide and national public policy changes sought, and a demand for resources as to violence against women and children, human trafficking, and the epidemic of missing persons. Additionally, activists want more equitable distributions of resources in educational arenas for women and girls, particularly regarding poor, minority, inner city and LGBT women, girls, and other genders.

A local guitar player and former Cleveland schools bus driver, Castro hanged himself in prison a month into his life sentence without the possibility of parole. He was a sad character and a serial rapist of children and women.

Statistics on nationwide violence against women and girls include the following:

-Violence against women and girls, including rape and murder, remains an epidemic, as does human trafficking

-Women and girls ages 12-34 are at the highest risk for sexual assault

-Poor women are 12 times more likely to get raped

-One out of every six American women has experience an attempted or completed rape and 22 percent of African-American women and 14 percent of Hispanic-American women experience at least one rape or attempted rape in their lifetime

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and in the Midwest Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview,CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

Staff article

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Nancy Ruiz, the mother of Cleveland Seymour Avenue survivor Gina DeJesus who fought with community activists for years to find her missing daughter, will join a list of speakers for the upcoming 10 year anniversary rally of the escape of the Seymour Avenue survivors on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 2207 on Seymour Avenue. The event is from noon-2pm where the since demolished home of the late serial rapist Ariel Castro one stood. Contact tel (216) 659-0473.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio– The Cleveland Foundation Board of Directors today announced that distinguished architect Lillian Kuri has been unanimously named the organization’s 10th president and CEO, effective Aug. 1, 2023. She will succeed Ronn Richard, who in January announced that he will be retiring this summer after a 20-year tenure at the helm of the foundation.