Bodycam footage released by the Columbus Police Department shows 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant “attempting to stab two people with a knife” before being shot by an officer who arrived at the scene:
Police shot and killed a teenage Black girl in Columbus, Ohio, just as the verdict was being announced in the trial for the killing of George Floyd. Bodycam footage appeared to show the girl attempting to stab two people with a knife. https://t.co/sQqfq0n75Z
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 21, 2021
According to a statement released by Franklin County Childre’s Services, Bryant was 16 and in foster care (we’re seeing various spellings of her name as well):
The Columbus, Ohio, girl who was killed by a police officer was identified as Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, by a spokeswoman for Franklin County Children’s Services, who said in an email on Tuesday night that Ma’Khia had been in foster care.
— Neil Vigdor (@gettinviggy) April 21, 2021
Stills from the video here:
Body camera video released by Columbus Police in Ohio shows #MakiyahBryant attacking another female with a knife before she is shot by police. #BLM have been protesting, calling the shooting racist because Makiyah is black. pic.twitter.com/LY1HaJyI1F
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 21, 2021
And you can watch the entire presentation from the Columbus Police here. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther told reporters, “We know, based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl”:
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Mayor of Columbus, Ohio: "We know, based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl.” Full press conference and officer body camera video. #MakiyahBryant #BLM https://t.co/C3twyLhwM8
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 21, 2021
However, protests continued after the release of the footage:
Columbus, Ohio: Despite police releasing body camera footage showing that #MakhiaBryant was trying to stab other black girls with a knife before getting shot by police, #BLM protesters continued to call her death a murder. pic.twitter.com/HPj7cwPWbo
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 21, 2021
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Editor’s note: We’ve changed the spelling of Ma’Khia Bryant’s first name from “Makiyah” in our headline and post to align with the correct spelling as reported by the media at large.
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