Makia Bryant was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer. The following is the result.
Trigger warning: graphic description of fatal shooting On April 20, about 30 minutes before a jury found Minneapolis police officer Derek Shovin guilty of killing George Floyd in May 2020, Makia Bryant was shot and killed by police in Columbus, Ohio. She was only 16 years old.
Here is what we know so far.
According to a press conference held by the Columbus Police Department on Tuesday evening, officers responded to a 911 call in the 3100 block of Legion Lane on the southeast side of the city at approximately 4:32 pm. A woman reported that another woman was "trying to stab herself." Officers were dispatched at 4:36 and arrived at 4:44.
Initial reports indicated that the call was from Bryant (open in new tab)." My daughter sent Columbus police for protection, not a murder today," Paula Bryant, Ma'Khia's mother, said tearfully in an interview with 10 WBNS (open in new tab). Later reports indicated that it was actually Bryant's sister who called 911. (Open in new tab) Police have not officially confirmed who made the call, and there are conflicting reports at this time.
Interim Police Chief Michael Woods said at a press conference that some of the bodycam footage will be released earlier than usual because of the public's "need, desire, and expectation for transparency." The full footage has not yet been released.
The bodycam footage shows the viewpoint of the officer who shot and killed Bryant, who was the first to arrive on the scene. There appears to be an altercation between some of the group.
An officer asks, "What's going on?" As reported by the New York Times, after the altercation, a teenager in a black shirt (now identified as Bryant) appears to have lunged at another woman while holding what appears to be a knife. (Opens in new tab) After the officer yelled "get down" several times, he fired four shots at the teenager. She fell to the ground.
The person in the video can be heard yelling "She's just a kid."
Bryant's aunt, Hazel Bryant, told the Columbus Dispatch that Bryant lives in a foster home on Legion Lane and that she got into an argument with someone at the home. (Open in new tab) Franklin County Children's Services confirmed that Bryant was in foster care at the time and under the custody of Children's Services.(Open in new tab) CNN reports that (Open in new tab) Angela Moore, who was caring for Bryant in the foster home, said the fight was over a housekeeping issue. She said it began. (Open in new tab)
Bryant said her niece had a knife but dropped it before being shot. (Open in new tab)
According to a press briefing on Wednesday, officers attempted CPR and called the fire department to dispatch a medical team 90 seconds after the shots were fired. Six minutes after the shots were fired, medics arrived on scene and performed "life-saving measures." Bryant was transported to Mount Carmel East Hospital in critical condition, but was pronounced dead at 5:21 p.m. On Wednesday, the Columbus Police Department identified him as Officer Nicholas Reardon. (Open in new tab) He was hired by the Columbus Police Department in 2019.
According to Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus, Jr. an investigation will be conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the officer will be taken off the streets while BCI conducts its investigation.
By 8:30 p.m. on the day of the shooting, about 50 people had gathered at the crime scene with megaphones, Black Lives Matter signs, and loudspeakers. Countless more marched down the street toward Columbus police headquarters chanting "Say her name, Macia Bryant." Demonstrations are also taking place across the United States.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the shooting "tragic." On Twitter, thousands of people also shared their disgust and anger over the shooting, along with condolences to Bryant's family and friends.
A TikTok hair tutorial video posted by Bryant has received over a million views since her death. The video is set to "Just Another Interlude" by Bryson Tiller. It has also been shared on Twitter. (Open in new tab)
Bryant was only 16 years old. She was an honor student. She liked to post hair tutorials on TikTok. According to her mother, she was "motherly" and "always promoting peace." Regardless of her great academic achievements and loving nature, simply put, Makia Bryant had the right to live her own life. She had the right to age.
Don Bryant is a cousin of Macia's mother and serves on the Mansfield, Ohio City Council. The Washington Post reported that Don Bryant said: (Open in new tab) "There are other breakaway techniques that the police could have used here. As a former city councilman, I support the police. I understand their moves, their tactics, what they are doing. I just don't understand what happened here."
While the conviction of Derek Shovin was a small glimmer of hope in the fight to end rampant police brutality, there is clearly much left to be done.
This article has been updated with new information. We will continue to update it as further details become available.
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