A police officer has been charged with murder nearly a year after a pregnant mother was shot to death in a Kroger Parking.
Horror footage of the incident has surfaced showing Ta’Kiya Young’s last devastating moments before her death.
6
6
6
Young, 21, was shot outside a retail chain in Blendon Township, Ohio, on August 24, 2023.
Young was the mother of two children, ages three and six, in addition to a third child she was pregnant with at the time of the shooting, according to the local Fox affiliate. WTTE.
Now, Blendon Township Police Officer Connor Grubb is facing murder charges in the deaths of Young and her unborn child, an attorney for the victim’s family told ABC affiliate, WSYX.
“When he pulled out the gun … he said get out of the car,” Walton said at a news conference Tuesday.
“When the gun came out, what was his intention?
“If you weren’t supposed to shoot her, then what was?
“The gun shouldn’t have come out.”
The lawyer also criticized Blendon police for the way they handled the situation.
“I think there’s a mentality where you can shoot first and ask questions later, and historically they’ve gotten away with it,” he said.
“I think that [Grubb] must be terminated immediately.”
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford later released a statement regarding Grubb’s accusation.
The police chief noted that a Grand Jury indictment of Grubb is the next step.
“While the independent investigation process has ensured that no one in Blendon Township saw the evidence collected by BCI or spoke to Officer Grubb about the incident, we are beginning the disciplinary review process,” the statement read.
Chief Belford said the department was taking necessary administrative action and added that no one in Blendon Township judged whether Grubb acted within the law.
“However, since the people who have been charged may not legally possess a firearm, the charge against him leaves us no choice but to begin the disciplinary process,” the statement continues.
Belford added that Grubb’s name was initially redacted until he was publicly identified by prosecutors.
TRAGIC DEATH
In a video declarationBelford said Young was sitting inside an unmarked Lexus when officers approached the car.
She reportedly parked in a handicapped space in front of the store, which is about 15 miles from Columbus.
According to Belford, body camera footage showed officers asking Young to get out of the car “dozens of times,” and she did not comply.
“The woman put the car in gear and accelerated,” Belford said.
“The officer who was directly in the path of the approaching car fired a shot into the front windshield.”
Officers broke the window of Young’s car to provide medical assistance after shots were fired, but the vehicle’s doors were locked and they were unable to enter.
An emergency room doctor who was in the area intervened to try to help until an ambulance arrived.
Young was taken to a hospital, but she and her baby died.
“This is the clearest example of what it means to ‘comply or die’ when police officers who are not properly trained and supervised engage with certain communities,” Walton exclusively told The US Sun after the fatal shooting.
“And it further illustrates how, similar to victims like George Floyd, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, police officers are not held accountable when they kill black and brown people for petty crimes,” he continued.
“The police department attempted to turn this petty theft into a crime that justifies the murder that occurred.”
Statement from Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford
“The Grand Jury indictment of Office Connor Grubb is the next step in the legal process.
“While the independent investigation process has ensured that no one in Blendon Township has seen the evidence collected by BCI or spoken to Officer Grubb about the incident, we are beginning the disciplinary review process.
“Ohio law and our contract with the FOP require us to take several administrative steps before doing so. Importantly, no one in Blendon Township has passed any judgment on whether Officer Grubb acted within the law.
“However, since the people who have been charged may not legally possess a firearm, the charge against him leaves us no choice but to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
The victims’ rights provisions in the Ohio Constitution and state law are binding.
“The law does not leave authorities any choice about whether or not to redact the names of potential crime victims unless the victim agrees to it.
“We redacted his name as required by Ohio law until he was publicly identified by prosecutors following the grand jury decision.”
‘EMPTY OF ANY HUMANITY’
Young’s grandmother, Nadine Young, spoke out about her pregnant granddaughter’s death.
She said ABC News in September that videos released by police made her sick.
“It was devoid of any humanity or any decency. He must be held accountable, period,” said Nadine.
Several people on social media said they would boycott Kroger following the shooting.
“People who value black lives should boycott Kroger because they refuse to release the unedited images from inside and outside the store,” one person he wrote in X.
They included #justicefortakiyayoung in the post.
Others reshared the hashtag and shared their thoughts on the tragedy.
“Shoplifting is not a capital crime, but Ta’Kiya Young died for it,” one person wrote.
“There is no justification for executing a shoplifting suspect. None,” said another.
“The job of the police is to protect and serve, not to judge and execute,” added a third.
6
6
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
