Shocking bodycam footage shows the moment a pregnant black woman was shot dead by police after she drove into a cop in a Kroger parking lot.
Ta’Kiya Young, 21, has two young children and was pregnant with a third when she was shot in her car last Thursday in Blendon Township, Ohio after running her car into a police officer. The unborn child also lost his life.
Local police officers approached Young in her car after a Kroger store employee accused her of theft. An allegation that the family’s lawyer denies.
Sean Walton, a lawyer representing Young’s family, said the video clearly shows the shooting was unwarranted and called for the officer to be fired and charged immediately.
“The video confirmed nothing but their fear that Ta’Kiya was wrongly killed… and it was just heartbreaking for them to see Ta’Kiya take their life in such ridiculous circumstances,” Walton told the AP. “Ta’Kiya’s family is heartbroken.”
Local police officers approached Young in her car after a Kroger store employee accused her of theft
Footage shows one officer communicating with the victim at her window, while another stands in front of the hood of her car
Police released the bodycam footage yesterday and the investigation, led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, is still ongoing.
Footage shows one officer communicating with the victim at her window, while another stands in front of the hood of her car.
Young is seen rolling down her car’s window and asking the police why she is being stopped before turning the wheel and driving her car forward into the second officer.
Shortly before the shot is fired, Young can be heard asking, “Are you going to shoot me?”
The second officer then fires a single shot through the windshield, ultimately resulting in her death.
Young’s vehicle continues to move forward until it hits the brick wall of the convenience store on the right.
The officers chase the moving vehicle and break the driver’s side window.
Blendon Township Chief John Belford said in a statement Friday that within 10 seconds of removing Young from her vehicle, officers called paramedics and within 90 seconds an emergency room doctor, who was in the parking lot at the time, began to call police. to help. treat her.
Ta’Kiya Young, 21, has two young children and was pregnant with a third when she was shot in her car in Blendon Township
“Her tragic passing has left a void beyond words, especially for her two young sons, who must now grow up without their mother’s love and guidance,” said a family statement.
Friends comfort each other during a private candlelight vigil on Friday, August 25, 2023 in Columbus
Blendon Township has not yet released the identities of either officer, citing Marsy law which aims to protect the victims of crime
Blendon Township chief John Belford said in a statement Friday that officers called for paramedics within 10 seconds of removing Young from her vehicle.
“Ta’Kiya was a beacon of love, strength and energy to all who knew her,” her family said
A statement released on behalf of Young’s family after reviewing the footage called Young’s death “avoidable” and an “act of hate.”
“Ta’Kiya was a beacon of love, strength and energy to all who knew her,” the statement said.
“Her tragic passing has left a void that words cannot describe, especially for her two young sons, who must now grow up without their mother’s love and guidance, and understand the circumstances that led to her murder.”
The statement also said that Young’s family wants a “prompt charge” against the officer who fired the shot.
Blendon Township has not yet released the identities of either officer, citing Marsy law, which aims to protect the victims of crime.
However, Young’s family has identified the officer as Connor Grubb, who has been with Blendon Township since 2019, according to Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission records. This is reported by the Columbus Dispatch.
The department said the first officer, who failed to fire his weapon, had his arm and hand inside the driver’s window when Young accelerated, making him the victim of a felony.
The second officer, firing his weapon, was struck by the vehicle and was the victim of an attempted vehicle attack, the statement said.
Brian Steel, Executive Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, said the footage was hard to watch, but “based on my training experience, based on what I saw in that video, I understand why it might be warranted, but again, I’m not making that decision.” Ultimately, a grand jury will make that decision.”
“The fact is, Miss Young wasn’t shot for stealing alcohol. She was shot because she tried to run over a fellow man after an aggravated robbery,” he added.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the incident.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office will submit the case to a grand jury for review.
Young’s death follows a disturbing series of fatal shootings of black adults and children by Ohio police and numerous instances of police brutality against black people across the country in recent years, events that have sparked widespread protests and demands for police reform. .