Protesters gather outside Columbus police headquarters after cop fatally shoots Black teen

Tension and unrest spread across Ohio in the hours after a Black teen was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer on Tuesday, with at least 200 protesters gathering outside the police headquarters to express their outrage over the latest incidence of fatal violence involving law enforcement and a person of color.

The victim, identified as Ma’Khia Bryant by a family member, allegedly phoned authorities around 4:30 p.m. for help. Chief Michael Woods told WKYC the caller claimed a group of older girls were trying to harm her, but did not confirm Bryant made the call.

A knife was reportedly found next to Bryant after the incident. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead about an hour later, police said.

Demonstrators awaiting the verdict in the killing of George Floyd, which was announced just moments after the officer-involved shooting unfolded, were already gathered together downtown to demand police reform and accountability. As news of the most recent shooting spread, they quickly shifted focus, and instead called for justice on the teen’s behalf.

Amid their demands for change, officials with the Columbus Division of Police late Tuesday night released an edited version of the body camera video worn by the officer who shot Bryant. The 10-second clip shows the responding cop, who has not been identified, approach a group of people outside a home located on the city’s east side.

Then, one girl in the driveway appears to swing a knife at another woman. The officer repeatedly tells her to get on the ground, but the girl instead charges another person, drawing fire from the police officer.

“You didn’t have to shoot her! She’s just a kid, man!” a witness says.

The officer responds, “She had a knife. She just went at her.”

Woods said the video shows Bryant holding the weapon, adding that police suspect she was attempting at the time to stab both girls. Her aunt, Hazel Bryant, alternatively told reporters her niece was being abused and that she “didn’t deserve to die like a dog in the street.”

Hazel Bryant also told the Columbus Dispatch that Ma’Khia lived in a foster home not far from where the violence unfolded.

By 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, scores of protesters carrying signs baring the words “Black Lives Matter” joined together outside the police headquarters and then began marching in a loop through the downtown area, according to the newspaper.

The region was filled with chants like “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Say her name” before protesters returned to the police headquarters around 11:30 p.m. At one point, the crowd pushed past barriers in a bid to get closer to the building, resulting in a brief standoff with bicycle officers.

From there, the group again marched through downtown, where their calls for justice continued.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther mourned the loss of the young victim but defended the officer’s use of deadly force.

“We know based on this footage the officer took action to protect another young girl in our community,” he told reporters.

With News Wire Services