A black teenage girl from Columbus, Ohio, was killed by police
Columbus police have produced bodycam footage showing the girl attacking others with a knife before being shot. The teenager involved in the incident in the state capital Columbus has been identified as Ma'Khia Bryant. An inquiry is underway, with officials urging residents to remain calm. The officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Police were called to an address in a south-eastern area of Columbus at about 16:45 local time (20:45 GMT) on Tuesday; Bodycam footage provided by the police shows an altercation with a group of individuals outside a house before one of them said to be Ma'Khia Bryant - appears to lunge at another member of the group with a knife in hand.
A police officer then approaches the group in the driveway and shouts "get down" before firing several shots, fatally injuring the girl. The officer is heard saying in the footage: "She had a knife; she just went at her." A bystander shouts that she was just a child. Officials have said the officer opened fire to save the life of one of the girls. A woman identified in local media as Ms Bryant's aunt said her niece was defending herself after being attacked.
Hazel Bryant saying: "She was a good kid. Yeah, she had issues, but that's OK. She didn't deserve to die like a dog on the street.” Ma’Khia Bryant's mother, Paula Bryant, said she was "hurt" by what had happened and that her daughter was a "loving girl”.” This shouldn't have happened," she said, adding: "I want answers. Paula Bryant said her daughter, who had been staying at a foster home, was "looking forward to coming home".
"After that investigation, the divisional police will conduct an administrative review of the actions of this officer and all officers at the scene," he said. "This is a tragic incident for all involved, but especially for the family of the female.” The widely watched footage sparked worldwide protests against racism and excessive use of force by police. Protesters gathered in Columbus on Wednesday afternoon near the home where the girl's shooting took place.
Meanwhile, NBA megastar LeBron James encountered a fierce backlash after posting a tweet targeting one of the officers involved. “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY," the basketball player wrote with an hourglass emoji over a photo of one of the white policemen at the scene of the teen's shooting.
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