Another day in Black America.
Yesterday (April 20) a Columbus, Ohio police officer shot and killed a Black teenager.
The teen has been identified by her mother and Franklin County Children Services as 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. FCCS also confirmed that she was a foster child in its care.
“We know based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl in our community,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said at the news conference. “But a family is grieving tonight and this young 16-year-old girl will never be coming home.”
The shooting occurred just 30 minutes prior to the verdict for the George Floyd murder. Ma’Khia’s murder comes during a time where people are questioning the use of police force across the nation.
“As we breathed a collective sigh of relief today, a community in Columbus felt the sting of another police shooting,” said Floyd family attorney Ben Crump in a tweet.
According to Columbus Interim Police Chief Michael Woods, the police received a call at 4:32 pm on Tuesday (April 20) indicating that “females were there trying to stab them and put their hands on them.”