US police officer charged with fatally shooting pregnant woman

 

A police officer accused of shooting a pregnant woman in Ohio has been charged with her murder.

Ta’Kiya Young, 21, was around 25 weeks pregnant at the time of her death last August.

Her unborn daughter also died in the police shooting.

On Wednesday, Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb is due to appear in court for the first time since a grand jury found sufficient evidence to file charges against him.

 

The 29-year-old has been charged with four counts of murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and four counts of felonious assault. His lawyers say he fired in self-defence.

Bodycam video of last year’s fatal encounter showed police approaching Ms Young in her car and attempting to stop her from driving away, so they could question her about alleged shoplifting.
In the video, Ms Young appeared to drive toward the officer who fired the fatal shot as he commanded her to exit the car.

 

Ms Young was suspected of shoplifting alcohol from a Kroger grocery store, investigators say.

 

Detailing Mr Grubb’s self-defence argument, his lawyers said: “When viewed through the eyes of a reasonable police officer, the evidence will show that our client’s actions were justified, when there is video evidence that Officer Grubb was being hit by a moving vehicle.”

 

On Tuesday, the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) labour union slammed the indictment as “politically motivated.”.

 

“We stand firm in advocating for an impartial justice system that focuses on truth and facts, not politics,” said chapter president Brian Steel.
“Like all law enforcement officers, Officer Grubb had to make a split-second decision, a reality all too familiar for those who serve to protect our communities,” he also said, adding that decisions were often made under “extreme pressure and often in life-threatening situations.”.

A lawyer representing Ms Young’s family, Sean Walton, called the arrest a “solemn victory in the pursuit of justice” and “yet another symbol of the urgent need for reform in police conduct and accountability.”.

 

Ms. Young was the mother of two boys, aged six and three. She was due to give birth in November.