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Former wrestling coach pays tribute to Jayland Walker, shot dead by police: NPR

Jayland Walker (right) with former wrestling coach Robert Hubbard in February 2020.

Robert Hubbard


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Robert Hubbard


Jayland Walker (right) with former wrestling coach Robert Hubbard in February 2020.

Robert Hubbard

Robert Hubbard said: “When I first heard it, I was just shocked – just completely shocked. “For me it doesn’t make any sense to know a gentleman I know, a young wrestler I’ve known since he was about eight or nine years old. It just makes no sense.”

Hubbard was a high school wrestling coach in Akron, Ohio and still handling death of Jayland Walker, age 25 – was shot dozens of times by police after stopping traffic on June 27.

Police video shows a stream of gunfire following a chase with eight officers, even though Walker was unarmed at the time. Released footage sparked protests in downtown Akron this week as Walker became the latest symbol of outrage at Black deaths at the hands of law enforcement.

But Hubbard will remember Walker as “one of the sweetest kids.” He coached him as a young wrestler for many years.

“You know, one of those kids, I wish I had 10 on my team. That’s the childish type of it,” Hubbard said.

“His father took him to a youth wrestling team that we had. And I ended up getting him into high school, and he was a kid that I never had any problems with. I’ve had some kids who tested me and pushed me. Jayland Walker wasn’t one of those kids.”

Protesters hold “Justice for Jayland” signs as they gather outside Akron City Hall on July 3.

Matthew Hatcher / AFP via Getty Images


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Matthew Hatcher / AFP via Getty Images


Protesters hold “Justice for Jayland” signs as they gather outside Akron City Hall on July 3.

Matthew Hatcher / AFP via Getty Images

Hubbard said the police video of the shooting was too traumatic for him to watch in its entirety, but from what he could tell, Walker’s behavior while trying to flee from police was unusual.

“The Jayland I know – that’s totally out of the ordinary. I don’t know. I understand he’s going through some sort of thing. He just lost his fiancée in a terrible car accident.”

Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett said officers tried to tow Walker for an unidentified vehicle and traffic violation, but he did not comply immediately and that the sound of a shot was heard from the vehicle. , changing the scene from a standard traffic stop to a “public safety issue.” Officers said they feared Walker was preparing to open fire when they discharged their weapons.

The incident has prompted Hubbard to recently keep his family a little closer. When he talked about his sons, there was a fear that one of them might be next.

“My son was home this weekend from school because he just graduated from Ohio State in Columbus,” Hubbard said. “Dude, I have to give him another hug. Like, I’m so glad my son is here. I can hug him.”

Protesters gathered outside Akron City Hall on July 3 to protest the killing of Jayland Walker.

MATTHEW HATCHER / AFP via Getty Images


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MATTHEW HATCHER / AFP via Getty Images


Protesters gathered outside Akron City Hall on July 3 to protest the killing of Jayland Walker.

MATTHEW HATCHER / AFP via Getty Images

Hubbard said he hopes that if someone he loves is in the same situation as Walker was with the police, they will try to help, not harm.

“My wish is that they can get their help – not the judge and the jury,” he said. “But actually, you know, if he needs to be caught, catch him. That would be my wish – not to fear him so much that after I put 60 bullets in him, he still needed to. must be handcuffed.”

More than 60 gunshot wounds were found on Jayland Walker’s body. Staff members were filmed to assist after the shooting, and one said he felt a pulse. But Walker was later pronounced dead at the scene. The family’s attorney said the shooting continued even after Walker fell to the ground, and he was handcuffed before being treated. The employees involved have been placed on paid administrative leave.

“I’m not a police expert on protocol or anything,” Hubbard said. “You know, over the years we’ve talked about de-escalation. There doesn’t seem to be de-escalation. And once that car stops, they go up to a hundred as soon as they come out. Get out of there. As families say, it doesn’t sound like you would treat an animal that way. It is – it’s heartbreaking.”

Hubbard wanted to know why officers didn’t see someone in need, rather than a threat.

“I think at worst Jayland might need some help,” he said. “If they’d handled it differently, if they’d, you know, subdued him and brought him in, maybe they could have asked him for help. This is someone who doesn’t hurt anyone. .”

This week, President Joe Biden made brief remarks on Walker’s shooting, saying that the Justice Department’s civil rights division and the US local attorney’s office were closely monitoring what happened. He also said the FBI is working with state and local partners.

“If evidence indicates a potential violation of federal criminal statute, the Department of Justice will take appropriate action,” Biden said.

When asked what he thinks justice will be like here, Hubbard said he hasn’t thought about it yet. He was still trying to process the loss of someone he knew and loved. But he knows one thing:

“What I want is that no one else has to lose a loved one the way Jayland’s family lost him.”

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