Shocking bodycam footage shows the moment a pregnant black woman was shot dead by police after driving into an officer 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 driving her car into a police officer. The unborn child also died.
Local police officers approached Young in her car after a Kroger store employee accused her of theft. An accusation denied by the family lawyer.
Sean Walton, an attorney representing Young’s family, said the video clearly showed the shooting was unjust and called for the officer’s immediate release and charges.
“The video only confirmed her fears that Ta’Kiya was unjustly murdered … and it was just heartbreaking for her to see Ta’Kiya’s life taken under 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
The footage shows one officer interacting with the victim at her window while another stands in front of the hood of her car
Police released the bodycam footage yesterday and an investigation led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is still ongoing.
The footage shows one officer interacting 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’s being pulled before turning the steering wheel and rolling her car forward into the second officer.
Just before the shot is fired, Young is 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 drift forward until it crashes into the grocery store’s brick wall on the right.
The officers followed the moving vehicle and smashed the driver’s side window.
Blendon community leader John Belford said in a statement on Friday that officers called paramedics ten seconds after she removed Young from her vehicle and within 90 seconds an ambulance, who was in the parking lot at the time, began to help the police treat you.
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 death has left a void that words cannot describe, especially for her two young sons who are now growing up without their mother’s love and guidance,” the family said in a statement
Friends comfort one another at a private candlelight vigil Friday, August 25, 2023, in Columbus
Blendon Township has not yet released the identities of the two officers, citing the Marsys Act, which aims to protect victims of crime
Blendon community leader John Belford said in a statement on Friday that officers called paramedics within 10 seconds of taking Young out of her vehicle
“Ta’Kiya was a beacon of love, strength and energy to all who knew her,” said her family
A statement released on behalf of Young’s family after viewing the footage called Young’s death “avoidable” and a “hateful act.”
“Ta’Kiya was a beacon of love, strength and energy to all who knew her,” the statement said.
“Her tragic death has left a void that words cannot describe, especially for her two young sons who are now growing up without their mother’s love and guidance while understanding the circumstances that led to her murder.”
The statement also said Young’s family wanted a “quick charge” against the officer who fired the shot.
Blendon Township has not yet released the identities of the two officers, citing the Marsys Act, which aims to protect victims of crime.
However, according to Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission records, Young’s family has identified the officer as Connor Grubb, who has been working in Blendon Township since 2019. The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The department said the first officer, who did not fire his gun, had his arm and hand in the driver’s window as Young accelerated, making him the victim of an assault.
The second officer who fired his gun was struck by the vehicle and was the victim of an attempted vehicular attack, the statement said.
Brian Steel, Executive Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. I don’t make that decision. Ultimately, a grand jury will make that decision.”
“The fact is, Miss Young was not shot for stealing alcohol. “She was shot for trying to run over someone after a serious robbery,” he added.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the incident.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Franklin County Attorney’s Office will submit the case to a grand jury for consideration.
Young’s death follows a worrying string of fatal shootings of black adults and children by Ohio police, as well as numerous instances of police brutality against black people across the country in recent years, events that have sparked widespread protests and calls for police reform.
