COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio police officer who shot and killed Ta’Kiya Young, a pregnant Black mother who had been accused of shoplifting, was acquitted on all counts Friday, including murder.
Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb, who faced up to life in prison, appeared stalwart as he heard the verdict. Young’s grandmother, Nadine Young, collapsed into sobs at the decision, shouting “It’s not right! This is not right!”
Sean Walton, an attorney for the Young family, called the outcome “an American tragedy,” lamenting what he said is a dual system of justice in the U.S. The family’s legal team vowed to continue its fight in civil court, where her estate sued the township and police chief over department practices in August.
The officer had pleaded not guilty to murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young. Bodycam recordings showed Young refusing to exit her parked car outside the supermarket, and then turning her steering wheel to the right before the vehicle began slowly rolling forward against the body of Grubb, who fired one shot into her chest through the windshield.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young, no relation to Ta’Kiya, dropped four of 10 counts relating to the death of Young’s unborn daughter, agreeing with defense attorneys that prosecutors failed to present proof that Grubb knew Young was pregnant when he shot her.
Jurors were shown the bodycam video on the first day of the two-week trial, and heard testimony from a use-of-force expert, an accident reconstructionist, a police policy expert and Sgt. Erick Moynihan, the officer who with Grubb had ordered Young out of her car.
They never heard from Grubb, whose side of the story was contained in a written statement read into the record by a special agent for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He attended the trial, but prosecutors were unable to question him directly.
Grubb and Moynihan had approached Young’s parked car on Aug. 24, 2023, about a report that she was suspected of stealing alcohol from a Kroger store in the Columbus suburb. She partially lowered her window and protested as both officers cursed at her and yelled at her to get out. Bodycam video showed Grubb had his left hand on the car’s hood while pointing his gun at her with his right. Young could be heard asking them, “Are you going to shoot me?”
Then, she put on a turn signal and her car rolled slowly forward toward Grubb, who fired a single bullet into her chest, the recording showed.
In the statement, Grubb said he had positioned himself in front of Young’s vehicle to provide backup and to protect other people in the parking lot. He said he drew his gun after he heard Young fail to comply with Moynihan’s commands. When her car moved toward him, he said, he felt the vehicle hit his legs and shins and begin to lift his body off the ground as he shot.
Moments later, after the car came to a stop against the building, they broke the driver’s side window. Police said they tried to save her life, but she was mortally wounded. Young and her unborn daughter were pronounced dead at a hospital.
A full-time officer with the township since 2019, Grubb was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting.
Young had two young sons, ages 8 and 5, who are being raised by Ta’Kiya’s grandmother, Nadine Young. Walton told the AP shortly after the shooting that Young had not stolen anything. He said his law firm found a witness who saw Young put down bottles of alcohol as she left the grocery store.
“The bottles were left in the store,” Walton said. “So when she’s in her car denying that, that’s accurate. She did not commit any theft, and so these officers were not even within their right to place her under arrest, let alone take her life.”
Aftoora-Orsagos and Smyth write for the Associated Press.
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