Autopsy reveals 46 wounds on body of black man killed by police

Jayland Walker, the African American man who was killed in a hail of police gunfire last month in Akron, Ohio, had 46 gunshot wounds on his body, according to an autopsy report made public on Friday.

"The autopsy examination determined that Mr Walker had 46 gunshot wound entrance or graze injuries," the report said.

A graze injury results when the bullet runs along the surface of the skin, but does not enter a specific area of the body. An entrance wound indicates that the bullet struck the skin and entered a part of the body and either exited the body or lodged within the tissues of the body.

"The photographic record shows more than 46 wounds because there are exit wounds, bullets beneath the skin and abrasions that were numbered for the purpose of identifying specific injuries in the photographs," Summit County medical examiner Lisa Kohler said.

Walker's death was due to blood loss related to these injuries and the cause of death ruling was "multiple gunshot wounds", the report said.

"The family is devastated by the findings of the report and still await a public apology from the police department," said the Walker family's legal team in a statement.

Walker, 25, was shot dead by Akron police officers on June 27 after a traffic stop turned into a pursuit. He was running away and unarmed when eight officers opened fire on him.

The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave and have not been named. The killing is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

A United Nations group will conduct an independent probe of the police shooting of Walker. After the investigation, the group will make recommendations to federal and state governments.

Xinhua