A teenage girl was shot dead by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon, about the same time that a jury in Minneapolis was returning guilty verdicts against Derek Chauvin, a former cop, in the killing last year of George Floyd.
Graphic body-camera footage of the incident, made public by police at a news conference Tuesday night, showed officers arriving at a southeast Columbus neighborhood and finding a commotion in front of a house.
One officer ― who was not identified ― fired several times at the Black teenager, who appeared to be grappling with another female. The teen collapsed on the ground and, moments later, a witness could be heard shouting, “She’s a fucking kid, man!” A small knife could be seen next to the fallen teenager.
Referring to the body-camera footage, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said it was “clear the officer took action to protect another young life.”
“It’s a tragic day in the city of Columbus. It’s a horrible, heartbreaking situation,” Ginther said during a news conference. “We felt transparency in sharing this footage, as incomplete as it is at this time.”
Ginther added that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was conducting an independent review of the shooting. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
Family members of the victim identified the girl as a “loving” and “sweet” teenager named Ma’Khia Bryant. It was Ma’Khia, they said, who had called 911 for help because there were girls fighting outside her home.
Officials said police had been responding to a disturbance call when the shooting occurred.
Reports have differed on Ma’Khia’s age. Officials and some of her family members have said she was 15. A woman who identified herself as the girl’s mother said the girl was 16.
“She was a good kid. She was loving,” a woman who identified herself as Ma’Khia’s aunt told reporters of the teen. “She was 15 years old. She didn’t deserve to die like a dog in the street.”
The aunt told The Columbus Dispatch that Ma’Khia lived in a foster home and had gotten into an altercation with someone else who lived there.
According to WSYX-TV, Ma’Khia was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead just before 5:30 p.m. local time.
At around the same time as Ma’Khia’s death on Tuesday, Chauvin was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter in a Minneapolis courtroom hundreds of miles away.
Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, a white officer, knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes in an arrest attempt. Among Floyd’s last words were “I can’t breathe.”
After word of the Columbus shooting spread, a crowd began to gather near the site of the incident, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Several protesters carried Black Lives Matter signs, and one man, K.C. Taynor, recalling earlier relief over the Chauvin verdicts, told the Dispatch: “We don’t get to celebrate nothing. ... In the end, you know what, you can’t be Black.”
As night fell, dozens of protesters also gathered outside Columbus police headquarters, demanding justice for Ma’Khia.
“Say her name, Ma’Khia Bryant,” they chanted.
Columbus police said they would release more body-camera footage and further information about the shooting on Wednesday.
This story has been updated throughout with more information about the shooting.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.