COLUMBUS, OH - On Tuesday, August 13th, a grand jury issued an indictment against a Blendon Township police officer on multiple charges, including murder, in the fatal officer-involved shooting of a pregnant woman.
According to 10WBNS, Blendon Township Police Department (BTPD) Officer Connor Grubb has been indicted on four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. As reported by CBS News, Grubb fatally shot 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young, who was pregnant, in a grocery store parking lot in August 2023. Young was at least 25 weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting. The daughter she was expecting that November also died in the shooting.
The incident took place on August 24, 2023 inside of a vehicle in the Kroger parking lot on Sunbury Road. Prior to the shooting, a Kroger employee flagged down two officers in the parking lot, who were there on an unrelated matter, about multiple people fleeing from the store with stolen items. According to BTPD Chief John Belford, one of those people was Young.
Young was reportedly in a vehicle when officers told her to get out, but she refused to comply. Authorities said that one of the officers was standing in front of the vehicle when Young put the car in gear and accelerated toward him. The officer fired his duty weapon through the windshield, striking Young.
Surveillance from inside the state liquor store shows Young putting several bottles of liquor into a bag she was carrying. BTPD said that two other women were also seen putting bottles inside of their bags. Young was inside the liquor store for about five minutes before walking out with the two other women, setting off the theft alarms.
Instead of stopping, Young and the two women promptly left Kroger. Surveillance from the store's parking lot then shows Young heading toward her car, a black Lexus, that was parked in a handicapped spot near the entrance. The officers' cruiser was parked nearby, where the two officers were assisting someone in the parking lot. Police said that the two other women got into a different car and left the parking lot.
Belford said that's when a Kroger employee came out and informed the officers that people were leaving the store with stolen items. An officer is seen speaking to someone near Young's car before he approaches the black Lexus.
Body cam footage of the incident shows what happened next. One of the two officers can be seen walking to the driver's side of the car that Young was in. The other officer is seen walking in front of the vehicle. The officers can be heard telling Young to get out of the car multiple times. She can be heard saying, "For what?" One officer replied, "They said you stole stuff. Do not leave."
She said that she did not steal anything and that the two other girls were the ones taking the items. The officer said, "then get out." Young said, "I'm not going to do that." One of the officers can then be seen pointing his firearm at Young through the windshield. Young can be heard saying, "Are you going to shoot me?"
She then puts the car in gear and started to drive the vehicle forward with the other officer still standing there, directly in the vehicle's path. That officer fired one shot through the windshield of the car, striking Young. The woman's car traveled about 50 feet before stopping on the sidewalk outside of the store. The officer broke the driver's side window and then the video stopped.
Following the incident, Chief Belford said in a statement, "This was a tragedy. Ms. Young's family is understandably very upset and grieving. While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events."
Following the news of the indictment against Grubb, Chief Belford said that the disciplinary proceedings against the officer would begin immediately and that people under indictment cannot legally possess firearms. Belford said that the town was not involved in the outside investigation into the shooting. He said, "I want to be very clear: We're not passing any judgement on whether Officer Grubb acted properly. We haven't seen the evidence."
Brian Steel, executive vice president of the union representing BTPD, called the indictment deeply disappointing. He said, "Like all law enforcement officers, Officer Grubb had to make a split-second decision, a reality all too familiar for those who protect our communities."
According to 10WBNS, Blendon Township Police Department (BTPD) Officer Connor Grubb has been indicted on four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. As reported by CBS News, Grubb fatally shot 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young, who was pregnant, in a grocery store parking lot in August 2023. Young was at least 25 weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting. The daughter she was expecting that November also died in the shooting.
The incident took place on August 24, 2023 inside of a vehicle in the Kroger parking lot on Sunbury Road. Prior to the shooting, a Kroger employee flagged down two officers in the parking lot, who were there on an unrelated matter, about multiple people fleeing from the store with stolen items. According to BTPD Chief John Belford, one of those people was Young.
Young was reportedly in a vehicle when officers told her to get out, but she refused to comply. Authorities said that one of the officers was standing in front of the vehicle when Young put the car in gear and accelerated toward him. The officer fired his duty weapon through the windshield, striking Young.
Surveillance from inside the state liquor store shows Young putting several bottles of liquor into a bag she was carrying. BTPD said that two other women were also seen putting bottles inside of their bags. Young was inside the liquor store for about five minutes before walking out with the two other women, setting off the theft alarms.
Instead of stopping, Young and the two women promptly left Kroger. Surveillance from the store's parking lot then shows Young heading toward her car, a black Lexus, that was parked in a handicapped spot near the entrance. The officers' cruiser was parked nearby, where the two officers were assisting someone in the parking lot. Police said that the two other women got into a different car and left the parking lot.
Belford said that's when a Kroger employee came out and informed the officers that people were leaving the store with stolen items. An officer is seen speaking to someone near Young's car before he approaches the black Lexus.
Body cam footage of the incident shows what happened next. One of the two officers can be seen walking to the driver's side of the car that Young was in. The other officer is seen walking in front of the vehicle. The officers can be heard telling Young to get out of the car multiple times. She can be heard saying, "For what?" One officer replied, "They said you stole stuff. Do not leave."
She said that she did not steal anything and that the two other girls were the ones taking the items. The officer said, "then get out." Young said, "I'm not going to do that." One of the officers can then be seen pointing his firearm at Young through the windshield. Young can be heard saying, "Are you going to shoot me?"
She then puts the car in gear and started to drive the vehicle forward with the other officer still standing there, directly in the vehicle's path. That officer fired one shot through the windshield of the car, striking Young. The woman's car traveled about 50 feet before stopping on the sidewalk outside of the store. The officer broke the driver's side window and then the video stopped.
Following the incident, Chief Belford said in a statement, "This was a tragedy. Ms. Young's family is understandably very upset and grieving. While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events."
Following the news of the indictment against Grubb, Chief Belford said that the disciplinary proceedings against the officer would begin immediately and that people under indictment cannot legally possess firearms. Belford said that the town was not involved in the outside investigation into the shooting. He said, "I want to be very clear: We're not passing any judgement on whether Officer Grubb acted properly. We haven't seen the evidence."
Brian Steel, executive vice president of the union representing BTPD, called the indictment deeply disappointing. He said, "Like all law enforcement officers, Officer Grubb had to make a split-second decision, a reality all too familiar for those who protect our communities."
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Comments
2024-08-15T21:03-0500 | Comment by: Cynthia
I'm to understand that the officer should have let the woman run over him? What is wrong with this picture?
2024-08-16T10:29-0500 | Comment by: Steve
Officer had a right to protect himself. Family wants to use this death to get a settlement from the police!! Just totally wrong!!
2024-08-16T18:31-0500 | Comment by: Dawn
So wrong. Our officers should not be forced to just let someone run them over. A car is a deadly weapon, and she was a criminal who was taking violent action against him.
2024-08-21T15:17-0500 | Comment by: Rick
Sounds like a good shoot with the information given. Will have to see what else comes out at trial.