Columbus Police Release More Video In Shooting Death Of 16-Year-Old Girl

Authorities in Columbus, Ohio, have released new body camera footage and provided more details about a fatal police-involved shooting of a 16-year-old girl who was armed with a knife. The new footage shows officer Nick Reardon arriving at the scene. Within seconds of leaving his patrol car, Reardon draws his gun as Ma'Khia Bryant shoves a woman to the ground.

Bryant then rushes towards another person and tries to stab her with a knife. That's when Reardon fires four shots, striking Bryant in the chest.

"She had a knife. She just went at her," an officer can be heard saying in the video.

Another video shows officers giving aid to Bryant, who was pronounced dead.

Officials also released two 911 calls. In the first call, a woman, who was not identified, told the dispatcher that someone was "trying to stab us" and had "put hands" on their grandmother.

"We need a police officer here now," the caller says.

A few minutes later, police received another 911 call, but the caller hung up because officers had arrived.

Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. vowed there will be an independent investigation into the shooting but said people must be patient as all the facts are determined.

"The video shows that there is more to this. It requires us to pause, to take a close look at the sequence of events, and, though it's not easy, wait for the facts as determined by an independent investigation," Pettus said during a press conference. "We have to ask ourselves: What information did the officer have? What did he see? How much time did he have to assess the situation? And what would have happened had he taken no action at all?"

Photo: Columbus Police Department


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