Ta'Kiya Young's family, police react to bodycam footage of fatal Blendon Township shooting
Body camera footage released Friday shows two Blendon Township police officers interacting with 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young for about a minute before a single gunshot was fired, ultimately killing her.
That gunshot has caused ripple effects through the community for more than a week as Young's family grieves the loss of the woman, who was a mother of two young boys and pregnant with a girl. After viewing the video Friday, her family called the shooting a "hateful act" and "avoidable."
The body camera footage released Friday is from both officers who were involved in the shooting, and the events preceding it, which happened around 6:20 p.m. Aug. 24 in the parking lot of the Kroger at 5991 S. Sunbury Road. Signs at the store indicate it was temporarily closed Friday afternoon.
Opinion: Shoplifting shouldn't have escalated to death sentence in Ta'Kiya Young shooting
In the video, a store employee can be heard telling an officer that Young, who got into a car parked catty-corner to where the officer was trying to help someone locked out of their vehicle, had shoplifted. The officer goes to Young's driver's side window, which is rolled up, knocks on both the window and the windshield, and tells her to stop and get out of the car, while gesturing with his hand to get out of the vehicle.
Young partially rolls down the window and twice says "For what?" with a large tote bag over her left shoulder, which seems to block her stomach from view of the officer. The second officer approaches the front of Young's vehicle as the first officer continues to tell her to get out of the car.
"I'm not going to do that," Young says.
The officer in front of Young's car has his left hand on the hood of Young's vehicle as Young can be seen turning the steering wheel. The officer has his firearm drawn in his right hand.
The video shows Young's vehicle moving forward, hitting the officer who was in front of the car, at which point the officer fires a single shot through the windshield. Young's vehicle continues moving forward until it hits the building.
At one point, shortly before the shot is fired, Young can be heard saying, "Are you going to shoot me?"
Officers are seen on the video running after Young's vehicle and immediately breaking Young's driver's side window to get her out after it hits the side of the building.
Blendon Township Chief John Belford said in a statement Friday that within 10 seconds of getting Young out of her vehicle, officers called for paramedics; within 70 seconds, officers were treating Young's chest wound; and within 90 seconds, an emergency room doctor, who was in the parking lot at the time, began helping police treat her.
Blendon Township not naming officers involved, citing Marsy's Law, calling them victims of assault
Blendon Township has not named either officer, citing Marsy's Law, which aims to protect crime victims but has been cited by police agencies as the reason they can't release the names of officers involved in such situations.
Young's family, in a statement released Friday, identified the officer as Connor Grubb, who has been with Blendon Township since 2019, according to Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission records. Blendon Township said Friday they would not confirm the officer's identity.
In a statement on Friday, the department said the first officer, who did not fire his weapon, had his arm and hand inside the driver's window when Young accelerated, making him a victim of misdemeanor assault. The second officer, who fired his weapon, was hit by the vehicle and a victim of attempted vehicular assault, the statement said.
The department declined to tell The Dispatch how many years either officer has worked there, saying that doing so would effectively identify them, due to the size of the department. Of the department's 15 officers, the one with the least amount of experience has worked there for three years.
On Friday, Belford said the officer who did not fire his weapon has returned from administrative leave and is back on patrol duty.
Police said Young was already in the vehicle when officers approached, and they were not aware she was pregnant.
Belford said in a statement Friday that redacting the video was "extremely complex."
"Due to the fact that there were two body cameras that were constantly in motion and there were numerous reflective surfaces showing the faces of the two officers, redaction was extremely complex," he said. "This, combined with the legal review, took a great deal of time for our small department."
Ta'Kiya Young's family calls for 'swift indictment' of Blendon Township officer who shot her
Young's family, through their attorney, previously expressed frustration that the body camera footage would not be released sooner than Friday. The family had the opportunity to view the video before it was released to the public. Young's family also called for the officers involved in the shooting to be named, calling the use of Marsy's Law to not release the names an overreach and abuse of the law.
After having the opportunity to view the video Friday morning at Blendon Township government offices, before it was released to the public, Young's family had no comment.
Chanda Brown, one of the attorneys representing the family, said the video speaks for itself and that she didn’t see any justification for the shooting.
"I saw a young woman get killed," Brown said. "They’re obviously upset and devastated."
A statement released on behalf of Young's family about an hour after viewing the video called Young's death "avoidable," a "gross misuse of power and authority" and a "hateful act."
"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 can't describe, especially for her two young sons, who must now grow up without the love and guidance of their mother, and while coming to understand the circumstances that led to her homicide."
The statement also said Young's family wants a "swift indictment" of the officer who fired the shot.
"This incident goes beyond the obvious policy violations that occurred," the statement said. "After seeing the video footage of her death, this is clearly a criminal act."
Young's family and legal team are planning a news conference for after Labor Day to address the footage, the statement said.
NAACP: Blendon Township officer, chief should resign
Nana Watson, president of the Columbus NAACP, said she believed the officer — as well as Belford — should step down because Belford has lacked transparency and sensitivity through the past week.
Belford has not held an in-person news conference since last Thursday when he declined to answer almost every question asked by reporters.
“The chief of police needs to resign now because he hasn't been transparent with the public or the media,” Watson said.
Watson said she is demanding Blendon Township police release footage from Kroger and the contents of Young’s car.
She called the video “horrible” and said, “the residents of Blendon Township should be really upset, because their officers will pull a gun in a snap of a finger.”
“Nobody should have to lose their life when confronted by a police officer, and we know you’re fearful as a Black person, and that’s because of past (police) behavior, but we just ask you follow their command so you can go home sound to your family,” Watson said.
Police union: Bodycam video 'very difficult to watch;' will let grand jury decide whether shooting was justified
Brian Steel, Fraternal Order of Police Captial City Lodge No. 9 Executive Vice President, said both the actions of Young and the officer have to be taken into consideration in evaluating what happened.
"It was hard to watch, right? There's no getting around that: It is very, very difficult to watch," Steel said. "This is particularly true knowing that it ended with a loss of two lives. Now young children will grow up without their mother. Those facts are indisputable, and they are heartbreaking."
Steel said he could understand how the shooting could be viewed as justified, but a grand jury will ultimately make any decision on whether the officer's actions were criminal.
"The fact is Miss Young was not shot for stealing alcohol. She was shot because following an aggravated robbery, she tried to run down a fellow human being," Steel said.
"Based on my training experience, from what I saw in that video, I understand why it could be justified but again, I don't make that decision. Ultimately, a grand jury is going to make that decision."
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting. When the investigation is concluded, the Franklin County Prosecutor's office will present the case to a grand jury for review.
Dispatch reporter Mark Ferenchik contributed to this story.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blendon Township releases Ta'Kiya Young police shooting bodycam video
