Bodycam video shows Ohio police fatally shooting pregnant black woman

Video shows police fatally shooting pregnant black woman

By Max Matza

BBC News

Police in Ohio have released bodycam footage showing an officer fatally shooting a pregnant black woman.

Ta’Kiya Young, 21, died on 24 August when she was shot while in her car outside a Kroger grocery store in Blendon Township, a suburb of Columbus. 

Footage shows officers attempting to question her for alleged shoplifting. 

One officer standing in front of her car is seen in the video released on Friday firing directly towards her as she appears to drive in his direction.

The video shows the two officers interacting with Ms Young for about one minute before the shot is fired.

One officer is seen standing at her door and repeatedly telling her to “get out of the car”.

“For what?” she responds twice, adding: “I’m not going to do that.”

One officer seen in front of the car has his left hand on the hood, his gun drawn in the other hand. 

“Are you going to shoot me?” she says moments before a single shot is fired and the officer quickly moves out of the car’s path. 

Officers are then seen breaking her window after the car rolls into the brick wall near the entrance of the store. 

Officers say they attempted to perform medical aid, but neither the mother of two nor her unborn child survived the shooting. 

“This was a tragedy. Ms Young’s family is understandably very upset and grieving,” Blendon Police Chief John Belford said on Friday in a statement. 

“While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events.”

Both officers, who have not been identified, were in the parking lot for an unrelated call. They were both placed on administrative leave after the shooting. 

The officer that stood at the car window has been returned to duty but the one that fired the shot remains on leave. 

The video was viewed by Ms Young’s family before it was released on Friday. 

In a statement, the family said the shooting “is clearly a criminal act” and was “avoidable”.

The Blendon Township police department have asked the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation to look into the shooting.

• Could rethink of US police traffic stops save lives?

Ms Young was the mother of two boys, ages six and three. Her family say she was due to give birth in November. 

The grocery store where the shooting occurred was temporary closed on Friday, according to The Columbus Dispatch newspaper. 

Also watch “Matters of Law” on our Youtube channel.