Eugene Nyavor
The local police officer responsible for shooting and killing 21 year old pregnant woman,Ta’Kiya Young has been identified as Connor Grubb.
Young’s family, in a statement released Friday, identified the officer as Connor Grubb, who has been with Blendon Township since 2019, according to Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission records.
Currently, officer Connor Grubb is on paid administrative leave while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation examines the shooting, which is standard practice.
A police union official said calls to charge the officer before an investigation is complete are premature.
A second officer who was on the scene has returned to active duty.
Their names, races and ranks have not been released.
Young’s family has condemned the decision of the department to shield the officers’ identifies, saying the use of Marsy’s Law to not release the names is an overreach and abuse of the law.
What happened?
The body camera footage released Friday is from both officers who were involved in the shooting, and the events preceding it, which happened around 6:20 p.m. Aug. 24 in the parking lot of the Kroger at 5991 S. Sunbury Road. Signs at the store indicate it was temporarily closed Friday afternoon.
In the video, a store employee can be heard telling an officer that Young, who got into a car parked catty-corner to where the officer was trying to help someone locked out of their vehicle, had shoplifted.
The officer goes to Young’s driver’s side window, which is rolled up, knocks on both the window and the windshield, and tells her to stop and get out of the car, while gesturing with his hand to get out of the vehicle.
Young partially rolls down the window and twice says “For what?” with a large tote bag over her left shoulder, which seems to block her stomach from view of the officer.
The second officer, Connor Grubb approaches the front of Young’s vehicle as the first officer continues to tell her to get out of the car.
“I’m not going to do that,” Young says.
The officer in front of Young’s car has his left hand on the hood of Young’s vehicle as Young can be seen turning the steering wheel. The officer has his firearm drawn in his right hand.
The video shows Young’s vehicle moving forward, hitting the officer who was in front of the car, at which point the officer fires a single shot through the windshield.
Young’s vehicle continues moving forward until it hits the building.
At one point, shortly before the shot is fired, Young can be heard saying, “Are you going to shoot me?”
Officers are seen on the video running after Young’s vehicle and immediately breaking Young’s driver’s side window to get her out after it hits the side of the building.
Who is Ta’Kiya Young?
Young was a 21-year-old mother of two sons, 6 and 3 years old. At the time of her death, Young was pregnant with a daughter who her family said was due in November.
