Teen killed, outcry in Ohio
OHIO: The fatal shooting of a knife-wielding Black teenage girl by police in Columbus, Ohio, came within minutes of the verdict in George Floyd’s killing - causing outrage by some in the community over the police use of lethal force.
Officials with the Columbus division of police released footage of the shooting on Tuesday night just hours after it happened, a departure from protocol as the force faces scrutiny following a series of recent police killings that have led to clashes.
The girl was identified as 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, according to Franklin County Children Services, which said in a release she was under the care of the agency.
The 10-second clip begins with the officer getting out of his car at a house where police had been dispatched after someone called 911 saying they were being threatened, interim police chief Michael Woods said. The officer takes a few steps towards a group of people in the driveway when Bryant starts swinging a knife at another person, who falls backward. The officer shouts several times to get down.
Bryant then charges at another person, who is pinned against a car.
From a few feet away, with people on either side of him, the officer fires four shots, and Bryant slumps to the ground. A black-handled blade similar to a kitchen knife or steak knife lies on the sidewalk next to her.