A police officer accused of shooting a pregnant woman in Ohio has been charged with her murder.<\/b><\/p>\n
Ta’Kiya Young, 21, was around 25 weeks pregnant at the time of her death last August. Her unborn daughter also died in the police shooting.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, a grand jury in the city of Columbus found sufficient evidence to file charges against Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb for murder, involuntary manslaughter and assault.<\/p>\n
Bodycam video of the fatal encounter released last year showed police attempting to stop Ms Young from driving away so they could question her about alleged shoplifting.<\/p>\n
In the video she appeared to drive toward the officer who fired the fatal shot as he commanded her to exit the car.<\/p>\n
Ms Young was suspected of shoplifting alcohol from a Kroger grocery store, investigators say.<\/p>\n
Lawyers for Mr Grubb say he fired in self-defence.<\/p>\n
“When viewed through the eyes of a reasonable police officer, the evidence will show that our client’s actions were justified, when there is video evidence that Officer Grubb was being hit by a moving vehicle,” said his lawyers Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens.<\/p>\n
The local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) labour union on Tuesday slammed the indictment as “politically motivated”.<\/p>\n
“We stand firm in advocating for an impartial justice system that focuses on truth and facts, not politics,” said chapter president Brian Steel.<\/p>\n
“Like all law enforcement officers, Officer Grubb had to make a split-second decision, a reality all too familiar for those who serve to protect our communities,” he also said, adding decisions were often made under “extreme pressure and often in life-threatening situations”.<\/p>\n
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford said in a video statement that it was immediately beginning a disciplinary process where it would review the facts and then decide the best course of action against the officer.<\/p>\n
“I want to be very clear: we’re not passing any judgment on whether Officer Grubb acted properly. We haven’t seen the evidence,” Chief Belford said.<\/p>\n
A lawyer representing Ms Young’s family, Sean Walton, called the arrest a “solemn victory in the pursuit of justice” and “yet another symbol of the urgent need for reform in police conduct and accountability”.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe actions that led to the death of Ta\u2019Kiya – the unnecessary aggression, the chilling commands that amounted to \u2018comply or die\u2019 – were there for us all to witness in dreadful clarity,” he said.<\/p>\n
Ms Young’s grandmother, Nadine Young, told CBS News that the past year had been very difficult for the family, including Ms Young’s two young sons.<\/p>\n
“It’s been agony, it’s been like a whirlwind of hurt and pain,” she said.<\/p>\n
Video from the 24 August 2023 encounter shows the two officers speaking with Ms Young for about one minute before the shot is fired.<\/p>\n
Both officers were in the car park for an unrelated call.<\/p>\n
Ms Young was the mother of two boys, aged six and three. She was due to give birth in November.<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"