Breonna Taylor's aunt, Jacob Blake's dad arrested in Akron protest over police killing of Jayland Walker

AKRON, Ohio — Jacob Blake's father and Breonna Taylor's aunt were among those arrested Wednesday night amid mounting protests of the police killing of Jayland Walker.

The two high-profile national critics of police violence were arrested in Akron, the northern Ohio city where police shot Walker, 25, dozens of times as he fled a traffic stop last week. Waves of protests erupted throughout the city for several days after the Akron Police Department on Sunday released body-camera footage showing the brutal shooting.

Police made numerous others arrests, according to court records. Social media posts showed people being detained downtown outside the city's Stubbs Justice Center.

Hours earlier, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan lifted a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for the downtown, saying he hoped people would remain peaceful.

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Akron Municipal Court records show numerous people were arrested overnight on riot-related charges, including Jacob Blake, 55, of Winston Salem, North Carolina, who was charged with riot, resisting arrest, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. All are misdemeanors. Blake's son, Jacob Jr., in 2020 was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and left partially paralyzed.

Also arrested was Bianca Taylor, 41, of Louisville, Kentucky. She is the aunt of Breonna Taylor, a medical worker who was shot and killed by Louisville police in a March 2020 raid on her apartment in that city. Bianca Taylor was charged with riot, disorderly conduct, and failure to disperse.

One video shows an Akron officer punching a man who was resisting arrest downtown, with people claiming the man was Blake.

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Akron police Thursday morning said they were gathering information on what happened overnight and could not immediately confirm the use of tear gas or the number of people arrested.

Meanwhile, local activists were planning a Thursday press conference.

Earlier this week, police said 49 people were arrested when protests that had been peaceful turned violent late Sunday night. Property damage to downtown businesses included shattered windows, overturned fixtures and plant stands and several small fires. Officers deployed tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jayland Walker protesters arrested, including Breonna Taylor's aunt