Supreme Court orders Blendon Twp. to give justices records in fatal Ta'Kiya Young shooting
The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Blendon Township Police Department to release the the names of two police officers involved in the shooting of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young — but the names will not be made public yet.
The decision, issued on Wednesday, is the result of a complaint filed on behalf of Young's family by the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center.
Civil attorneys for Young's family have previously identified the officer who shot Young as Connor Grubb, however, Blendon Township has not confirmed his identify, or that of the other officer involved in the incident, citing Marsy's Law.
The complaint filed with the Ohio Supreme Court argues that the officers do not qualify as victims and should not be afforded Marsy's Law protections as victims of crime.
How did Ta'Kiya Young die?
Young, who was six months pregnant, was fatally shot on Aug. 24 in the parking lot of the Kroger at 5991 Sunbury Road. Video from the store shows Young shoplifting multiple bottles of alcohol and getting in her vehicle.
A store employee flagged down two Blendon Township police officers who were in the parking lot trying to help a woman who had locked her keys in her vehicle and pointed out Young, according to body camera video.
The officers approached Young's vehicle, according to redacted body camera footage released by the department, and gave her multiple verbal commands to turn her vehicle off and talk to them.
Young is seen on the video turning the wheel and then the vehicle moves forward, striking an officer who was standing in front of the vehicle. Parking lot surveillance footage shows both of the officer's feet were off the ground when he fired a single shot, which went through the windshield and struck Young in the chest.
Young's family has said the officer who fired the shot is Grubb.
The other officer did not fire their weapon.
Young's vehicle continued forward through the parking lot and over a curb, striking the building. A doctor who was in the parking lot at the time helped officers provide first aid to Young until paramedics arrived. They did not know she was pregnant as she was already seated in the vehicle when they approached.
Both Young and her unborn daughter died at an area hospital.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor's office is currently reviewing the investigation that was done by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation into the shooting. The case is likely to be presented to a Franklin County grand jury for review for potential indictment in the next several months.
When does Blendon Township have to release officers' names?
The Ohio Supreme Court said in its decision that the police department has 20 days to provide the names of the officers to the justices, under seal. The justices also asked for briefs on the issue on an accelerated calendar, indicating they want to make a decision quickly about the use of Marsy's Law in the instance of Young's shooting.
The Dispatch filed a lawsuit against Columbus police challenging the use of Marsy's Law to withhold police officers' names. The case involves an unrelated shootout on Interstate 70 in July that injured a police officer and resulted in the death of a 19-year-old man.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Police must ID officers to Ohio Supreme Court in Ta'Kiya Young death
