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'We must not resort to violence.' Fayetteville mayor calls for peace as protestors gather for third night

Protesters gathered in downtown Fayetteville on Tuesday night for the third straight night in support of Jason Walker, the man shot and killed Saturday by an off-duty Cumberland County Sheriff's Deputy.

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By
Keenan Willard
, WRAL Eastern North Carolina reporter
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Protesters gathered in downtown Fayetteville on Tuesday night for the third straight night in support of Jason Walker, the man shot and killed Saturday by an off-duty Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputy.
The march came hours after WRAL News obtained audio of the 911 call made by the deputy who shot Walker. Lt. Jeffery Hash told police that Walker "ran across the street, so I stopped. He jumped on my car and started screaming. He broke off my windshield wiper and started beating the glass."

The gathering in front of city hall was smaller than in days past, but organizers said sending their message and keeping this community from forgetting Walker was all that mattered.

“It’s important because there are many people who honestly don’t know that this is taking place,” Myah Warren said.

On Tuesday night, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin sent his condolences to the families of Walker and Stephen Addison, the man who was shot and killed in a road rage incident on Jan. 3.

“As a father and an African-American man, I can empathize with what these two families are experiencing during this turbulent time,” Colvin said. “As a city, we must continue to come together, help one another, and look out for those in need.”

“As we battle with the strains from the pandemic along with the financial and emotional hardships it has caused, we must not resort to violence in any capacity and at any point,” he continued.

Some of the protesters on the street on Tuesday night had already heard the 911 call.

They felt it showed a need to better teach law enforcement how to handle high-stress situations.

“I know that we need police officers, but we have to change how they’re trained, how they reach out in emergency situations,” protester Angela Malloy said. “We cannot keep using the same tools and expecting different outcomes.”

Organizers of the protest said more marches are expected to be held in Fayetteville in the coming days.​

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