A police officer in Ohio accused of fatally shooting a pregnant black woman has been charged with murder.
Ta’Kiya Young, 21, was shot in the chest after being suspected of stealing bottles of alcohol from a supermarket last August.
Her unborn daughter, who was due three months later, also died.
On Tuesday, a grand jury charged Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb with murder, involuntary manslaughter and assault.
He was one of two officers who approached Ms Young’s car and asked her to leave the vehicle.
A video of the incident last August shows an officer pointing a gun at a vehicle believed to be Ms Young;s. Pic: Blendon Township Police/AP
In a video of the incident – released last September – the expectant mother is seen refusing to get out of the car, turning the steering wheel of the vehicle and allegedly driving towards Grubb, who then fires his gun through the car windscreen.
‘He took a lot from us’
Ms Young’s grandmother, Nadine, said the officer never should have pulled his gun when he first confronted her.
“He took a lot from us,” she said on Tuesday. “It’s not fair. We don’t have her or the baby.”
She said the last year has been difficult for the family, including her granddaughter’s two young sons: “It’s been agony, it’s been like a whirlwind of hurt and pain.”
Sean Walton, a lawyer representing the Young family, said the law is clear on when an officer can use deadly force.
Attorney Sean Walton and Ta’Kiya Young’s grandmother speaking after the indictment on Tuesday. Pic: AP
“In no scenario does someone shoplifting contribute to their murder by a police officer,” he said. “She bears no responsibility.”
Brian Steel, president of the union representing Blendon Township police, called the indictment deeply disappointing.
“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,” he said in a statement.
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The Blendon Township Police Department’s use of force policy states that officers should try to move away from an approaching vehicle instead of firing their weapons.
It says an officer should only shoot when he or she “reasonably believes there are no other reasonable means available to avert the imminent threat of the vehicle, or if deadly force other than the vehicle is directed at the officer or others”.
Police Chief John Belford said the department has started a disciplinary review now that Grubb has been charged.
The officer is due to appear in court on Wednesday at 1pm local time.