Police officers shot and killed a 21-year-old pregnant woman in Blendon Township, Ohio, after she was allegedly stealing liquor from a Kroger supermarket.
Police Chief John Belford reported that Ta’Kiya Young, 21, and several others were accused of theft from the supermarket.
Two officers assisting another person on-site were alerted by an employee about the theft. Though others implicated in the theft had fled, Young was found in her sedan in the parking lot.
According to Chief Belford, the officers ordered Young to exit the vehicle. Instead, she allegedly drove the car toward one of the officers, prompting him to fire a gunshot through the window. The vehicle then traveled further before crashing into a brick structure near the store.
Chief Belford said that the officers broke into the locked vehicle to provide medical aid to Young. An emergency room doctor, who was nearby, assisted until paramedics arrived. However, Young was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The unborn child did not survive either.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation is examining the incident, with both officers now on paid leave
The shooting has elicited strong reactions from the community. NAACP-Columbus president Nana Watson expressed deep concern, while Young’s grandmother, Nadine, argued the shooting was unjustified.
Days before the incident, Young was accused of violating a protection order. Her grandmother is now focusing on caring for Young’s two sons.