Police have finally released the surveillance video footage of an August 24 incident that killed 21-year-old, pregnant Ta’Kiya Young.
Young, whose baby would have been due in November, was gunned down by police in a Kroger parking lot, and neither she nor her unborn survived the shooting. Authorities have tried to justify their actions with the rebuttal that Young had allegedly shoplifted.
Now that the Kroger surveillance video has been made public, Young’s loved ones can finally see what happened. Previously, all that had been made available was the police officer’s body camera footage, which showed Young’s final moments before the shooting.
The video is captured from inside the state liquor store, and one can see “Young and two other women walking around the liquor department of the Columbus-area store. Young can be seen putting multiple bottles of alcohol into her purse and a tote bag while out of sight of the cash register. She and the two other women then leave without paying,” the Associated Press reports.
Earlier, Sean Walton, attorney for the Young family, had told the press that they had a witness who saw Young putting down the bottles, implying her innocence.
Walton responded to the development, urging that “What is clear is that petty theft does not justify murder and comply or die is not the rule of law in this country. The fact that an unarmed woman was shot unjustifiably, then dragged from her car and handcuffed after being shot should shock the conscience of everyone who watches the newly released video footage.”
Additional surveillance footage released last week from outside the Kroger also provides another angle from the violent police encounter. This video shows two officers approaching Young when the vehicle appears to begin moving forward at a slow place, and ends with the officers pursuing the car, which then went off camera.
“I see nothing but more evidence that a murder occurred, more evidence of the policy violations that occurred, and more reason why this officer should be terminated and indicted for murder,” said Walton.
“What we witness on the video footage released today is more evidence of murder, a lack of urgency in providing trained medical care to a clearly pregnant and wounded woman,” Walton added in a statement to CNN.
John Belford, Chief of Police for Blendon Township called the incident “tragic situation for everyone,” and said “We recognize that these (surveillance) videos will create more discussion and even anger by people who have passionate feelings for or against the officer’s actions.”
“But we’re simply complying with our promise of transparency and our obligation to release public records as required by state law,” stated the chief.