A POLICE officer has been indicted on murder charges nearly a year after a pregnant mom was fatally shot in a Kroger parking lot.
Horror footage of the incident has come to light showing Ta’Kiya Young’s devastating last moments before her death.
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Young, 21, was shot outside the retail chain in Blendon Township, Ohio, on August 24, 2023.
Young was a mother of two children, ages three and six, in addition to the third child she was pregnant with at the time of the shooting, according to local Fox affiliate WTTE.
Now, Blendon Township Police Officer Connor Grubb is facing murder charges following the deaths of Young and her unborn child, an attorney for the victim’s family told ABC affiliate, WSYX.
“When he pulled that gun out …he said get out the ‘f’ out the car,” Walton said in a press conference Tuesday.
“When the gun came out what was his intent?
“If it was not to shoot her, then what was it?
“The gun should not have come out.”
The attorney also slammed Blendon police for the way they addressed 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] should be terminated immediately.”
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford subsequently released a statement regarding Grubb’s indictment.
The police chief noted that the Grand Jury’s indictment of Grubb is the next step.
“While the independent investigation process has ensured that no one at Blendon Township has seen the evidence gathered by BCI or spoken with Officer Grubb about the incident, we’re beginning the disciplinary review process,” the statement read.
Chief Belford said that the department was taking the administrative steps necessary and added that no one at Blendon Township passed judgment on whether Grubb acted within the law.
“However, since people who’ve been indicted may not legally possess a firearm, the indictment against him leaves us with no choice but to begin the disciplinary process,” the statement continued.
Belford added that Grubb’s name was initially redacted until he was publicly identified by prosecutors.
TRAGIC DEATH
In a video statement, Belford said that Young was sitting inside a Lexus with no license plate when cops approached the car.
She was reportedly parked in a handicapped spot in front of the store, which is located about 15 miles from Columbus.
According to Belford, bodycam footage showed officers asking Young to get out of her car “dozens of times,” and she didn’t comply.
“The woman put the car in gear and accelerated forward,” Belford said.
“The officer who was directly in the path of the oncoming car fired one shot through the front windshield.”
Officers broke Young’s car window to apply medical aid after the shots were fired but the vehicle’s doors were locked and they couldn’t get in.
An emergency room doctor who happened to be in the area stepped in to try to help until an ambulance got there.
Young was taken to a hospital but she and her unborn baby both died.
“This is the clearest example of what ‘comply or die’ looks like when law enforcement officers who are not properly trained and supervised engage with certain communities,” Walton exclusively told The U.S. Sun following the fatal shooting.
“And it just further illustrates how, similar to victims such as George Floyd, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner, police officers are not held accountable when killing Black and Brown people over petty crimes,” he continued.
“The police department has attempted to escalate this petty theft into a crime that justifies the killing that occurred.”
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford’s statement
“The Grand Jury’s indictment of Office Connor Grubb is the next step in the legal process.
“While the independent investigation process has ensured that no one at Blendon Township has seen the evidence gathered by BCI or spoken with Officer Grubb about the incident, we’re beginning the disciplinary review process.
“Ohio law, and our contract with the FOP, require us to take several administrative steps before doing this. Importantly, no one at Blendon Township has passed any judgment on whether Officer Grubb acted within the law.
“However, since people who’ve been indicted may not legally possess a firearm, the indictment against him leaves us with no choice but to begin the disciplinary process.
The victims’ rights provisions in the Ohio Constitution and state law are mandatory.
“The law doesn’t leave law enforcement with any choice on 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 after the grand jury’s decision.”
‘VOID OF ANY HUMANITY’
Young’s grandmother, Nadine Young, spoke out about her pregnant granddaughter’s death.
She told ABC News in September that the videos released by the police department made her sick.
“It was void of any humanity or any decency at all. He must be held accountable, full stop,” Nadine said.
Several people on social media have said that they would boycott Kroger in the wake of the shooting.
“People who value Black lives should boycott Kroger because they refuse to release the unedited footage from inside and outside the store,” one person wrote on X.
They included #justicefortakiyayoung in the post.
Others have re-shared the hashtag and shared their thoughts on the tragedy.
“Shoplifting is not a capital offense, but Ta’Kiya Young died for it,” one person wrote.
“There is no justification for executing a suspected shoplifter. Not one,” said another.
“The job of police is to protect and serve, not judge and execute,” a third added.
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