Updated: August 25, 2023, 6:18 PM ET
A Blendon Township police officer shot and killed a 21-year-old pregnant woman outside a Kroger on Thursday afternoon. Police said the woman was allegedly shoplifting.
The Franklin County Coroner identified the person shot as Ta'Kiya Young and confirmed she was pregnant. She was pronounced dead at 8:24 p.m. Thursday.
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford released a videotape on Facebook where he explains more details about what happened when an officer shot and killed a 21-year-old pregnant woman outside of a Kroger store on South Sunbury Road on Thursday evening.
Belford said officers were in the parking lot helping someone locked out of their car. That’s when a Kroger employee pointed out a person they said had been involved in stealing bottles of alcohol from the store.
Belford said officers approached the Lexus sedan where Young was seated. He said she then started the vehicle and after two officers ordered her to get out of the car she began moving it forward.
Belford said an officer in the direct path of the car fired one shot through the windshield hitting Young.
He said officers broke the window to the car and began performing medical care.
Young died at St. Ann’s Hospital.
The chief says both officers involved are on administrative leave as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation examines the case.
Belford said body camera footage of the shooting will be released when the legal redactions can be made.
WOSU has requested any incident reports or summaries of the shooting in addition to body camera footage and any internal communications about the incident in the hours following the shooting.
This is a developing story and it will be updated.
