U.S. protests: Black teen girl fatally shot by Ohio police
A Black teenage girl was fatally shot by police in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon, shortly before a U.S. jury found former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin guilty of third-degree murder in the May 2020 death of George Floyd.
The shooting was confirmed on Twitter by the city’s mayor, Andrew Ginther, who said there was police body camera footage of the incident, calling on residents to remain calm as protesters descended on the scene.
“This afternoon a young woman tragically lost her life,” he said. “It’s a tragic day in the city of Columbus. A horrible, heartbreaking situation. I’m not just the mayor, I’m a father. The city of Columbus lost a 15-year-old girl today.”
He went on to say that “we do not know all of the details. There is body-worn camera footage of the incident. We are working to review it as soon as possible.”
Officers were responding to a call about an attempted stabbing when the shooting happened around 4:45 pm in the southeastern part of Columbus, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The verdict in the Chauvin case was announced in Hennepin County court about 20 minutes later.
“It is clear the officer took action to protect another young life,” Ginther said.
Following the shooting, the girl, identified by her family as Ma’Khia Bryant, was taken to Mount Carmel East in critical condition where she was pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, Public Safety Director Ned Pettus said the death of Bryant is “devastating.”
“She could be my grandchild,” Pettus said. “My heart breaks for the family tonight. No matter what the circumstances, that family is in agony and they are in my prayers.”