The Blendon Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to keep indicted police officer Connor Grubb on paid administrative leave as he faces murder charges for shooting and killing 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young last year.
Grubb shot Young in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store on Aug. 24, 2023, and was indicted last month on charges of murder, felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter. He was also charged for killing Young's unborn child.
In a letter sent to Blendon Township residents, the township's trustees said after a recent executive session that the board voted unanimously to continue Grubb’s paid administrative leave until the city has all of the necessary information.
The letter said as soon as the grand jury indicted Grubb, the township began evaluating the discliplinary process. It said the township's goal is to be as transparent as possible with residents.
"Officer Grubb is innocent until proven guilty. Until we have access to the vital information and evidence gathered by BCI, we can’t make a fair decision about Officer Grubb’s employment," the letter said.
The board is made up of trustees Jan Heichel, DeLena Ciamacco and Cathy Shinaberry.
The three trustees wrote that throughout this process, the township has been concerned about what residents think is the best thing to do for the township. The letter complained about input from people outside of Blendon Township who have been calling for Grubb to be fired.
"There have been some loud voices from non-residents who demand that we fire Officer Grubb, even though he hasn’t even had a trial. But we don’t make decisions about Blendon Township based on what non-residents demand. We work for you," the letter said.
