On August 24, a Blendon Township Police officer shot and killed Ta’Kiya Young in a parking lot of a grocery store.
A Blendon Township Police officer who shot and killed Ta’Kiya Young, age 21, who was accused of shoplifting from a Westerville Kroger. Young’s Family continues to question why the police officer has not been publicly identified.
Chief Belfored cited Marsy’s Law which is a crime victim’s rights amendment. According to Marsy’s Law for Ohio, the law ensures that the victims of violent crimes have the same co-equal rights as the accused and convicted – nothing more, nothing less.
The Young family and Attorney Walton was able to piece together the identity of the Blendon Township Police officer who shot and killed their daughter. They believe that through the evidence available to them, like eye witnessing and badge number information that were provided to them, the Blendon Township Police officer responsible is Connor Grubb.
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Marsy’s Law is named after a 21 year old Californian woman was shot and killed in 1983 by her boyfriend. As the law has been adopted by multiple states, police departments have used the law to keep officers involved in use-of-force incidents, like the Blendon Township Police officer, from being named.
The video showed that two officers were attempting to unlock another person’s locked car when the employee approached the two and told that Ta’Kiya stole from their store. One approached and ordered for Ta’Kiya to get out, which she did not do. A second officer approached her and pulled out a pistol. Ta’Kiya tried to pull away from the scene. The officer shot through her windshield and shot her in the chest. She died that same day.
Nadine Young said that not only does she want to see the Blendon Township Police officer held accountable but she also wants to see wider changes inv policing, stating that the system of policing values power more than people. She added that their family and other families who have lost their loved ones to police deserve swift, measurable changes.