The CPD has released body camera footage related to a fatal Columbus police shooting that happened on Tuesday evening and killed a teenage black girl, identified in the media as Makiyah Bryant.
The video shows a police officer approaching several people who are shouting at each other. As the officer approaches the group of people a scuffle begins between two persons and one falls on the ground. At that moment a female, appearing to be the late teenage girl, attacked another female, holding a knife in her hand after which the officer shot the late 15-year-old four times.
Body camera video released by Columbus Police in Ohio shows #MakiyahBryant attacking another female with a knife before she is shot by police. #BLM have been protesting, calling the shooting racist because Makiyah is black. pic.twitter.com/LY1HaJyI1F
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 21, 2021
During the release of the graphic video, Columbus Interim Police Chief Mike Woods noted that it was "tragic incident for all involved" and that the police are not releasing the name of the teenager "yet". The bureau of criminal investigation was said to be conducting an 'independent' criminal investigation into the incident.
Woods highlighted that "normally we don't provide information this soon but we understand the public need, desire and expectation to have transparancy upon what happened".
The mayor of Columbus, Andrew Ginther, speaking at a press conference on the release of the body cam footage, pointed out that "based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl". While not calling the dead teenager by name, the mayor referred to her as "a 15-year-old".
Hazel Bryant, the teenager's aunt, cited by the Daily Beast, suggested that the girl had called the police herself because several adult women had come to her home and started an altercation, noting that the teenager held the knife in self-defense.
The shooting unfolded the same day that a 12-person jury panel in the trial of Derek Chauvin over last year's fatal arrest of George Floyd found Chauvin guilty on all three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
