Police said Walker, a 25-year-old DoorDash driver, refused to stop his car and fired at officers during a chase. Officers on the scene said Walker jumped out of his rolling vehicle and created a “deadly threat,” leading officers to use stun guns, which failed, and then firearms.
Walker was found lying on his back while in handcuffs when a medical examiner arrived at the scene, according to an investigative worksheet for the case shown to the Beacon Journal at the medical examiner’s office. Walker had been shot in the face, abdomen and upper legs, the report said, adding that a weapon was recovered from his vehicle.
Traffic camera video obtained by the Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, shows at least 10 police cruisers pursuing Walker’s vehicle at one point during the chase.
Mylett said the police response changed when they believed Walker was shooting. That moved the situation from “being a routine traffic stop to now a public safety issue,” he said.
Mike Lawlor, associate criminal justice professor at the University of New Haven, says the video raises more questions than answers.
“So if this started out as clear equipment violation, which usually means like a defective tail light or there’s not a light on the license plate, something like that, that would never justify a pursuit in almost any part of the country,” he said. “The question about whether anyone gets charged with a crime is: did they reasonably believe someone’s life is in danger at that point?”
Comments