An Ohio police officer was charged this week in the fatal shooting of a pregnant black woman.
On Tuesday, a grand jury in Franklin County, Ohio, indicted Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb on charges including murder, involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Grubb was involved in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young. She was pregnant at the time of the shooting on August 24, 2023.
The incident stemmed from suspicions that Young was shoplifting at a Blendon Township grocery store. When police were notified of the suspicion, Officer Grubb and a colleague approached her vehicle. The other officer ordered her to get out, but instead she rolled the car forward toward Grubb. He responded by firing a single shot through the windshield, hitting her in the chest. The baby she was expecting in three months did not survive.
Blendon Township Police via AP/Blender Township Police via AP
In a video of the incident, Young is seen in her car when officers alert her that she is suspected of shoplifting. She was asked to step out of her vehicle, but she protested, which led to a verbal altercation between her and the two officers.
In the video, Young can be heard asking, “Are you going to shoot me?”
The video shows Young turning her steering wheel to the right, causing the car to slowly roll forward. Grubb is then seen reaching for his gun. Shortly after the car came to a stop in front of the building, officers smashed the driver’s side window. Despite police efforts to rescue her, Young was fatally injured.
Young’s family called for Grubb’s arrest and charges after seeing body camera footage of the incident. They called Grubb’s actions a “gross abuse of power and authority” and pointed out that suspicion of shoplifting was based on only a minor crime.
In a Facebook post, Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford responded to the charges, saying the department hopes to be as “transparent” with the community as possible.
“Because we requested an outside investigation, Blendon Township played no role in the investigation, and we continue to believe that you deserve to receive as much information as we can give you. We are initiating the disciplinary process immediately. After reviewing the facts, the trustees will decide on the necessary disciplinary action,” Belford said. “Ohio law and our contract with the FOP require us to take several administrative steps before making any decisions.”
Belford noted that he wanted to make it clear that the police department “makes no judgment as to whether Officer Grubb acted appropriately.”
“We have not seen the evidence. However, since the accused persons may not legally possess a firearm, the charges against him leave us no choice but to immediately initiate disciplinary proceedings,” the police chief said.
