"Shot her in cold blood": Ta'Kiya Young bodycam footage sparks outrage as GoFundMe raises more than $8,000 for pregnant woman killed in Ohio

Ta'Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant mother was fatally shot by a Blendon Township police officer on Thursday, August 24, 2023. The incident reportedly took place after the Ohio woman was suspected of shoplifting alcohol from a Kroger in Westerville, Columbus. Authorities claimed that Young refused to comply with authorities, and attempted to run over one of the officers in her vehicle. As a result, an officer shot her through the windshield, killing her.

Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence. Discretion is advised

The bodycam footage of Ta'Kiya Young's death was released by several news outlets on September 1, 2023. Needless to say, it led to an outrage among the victim's family members and people who saw the video. Young's family even stated that the police is prone to brutalizing black civilians. They took to social media to voice their anger with one person even saying that she was "shot in cold blood."

Netizens denied the police department's claim that Young tried to run over a police officer (image via Instagram/The Neighborhood talk)

Following the incident, Young's family started a GoFundMe page to raise $5000 for her funeral arrangements. As of September 2, 2023, the page had collected over $8000.

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The timeline of Ta'Kiya Young's shooting

At around 6:20 pm on August 24, 2023, Ta'Kiya Young and several other suspects allegedly shoplifted alcohol from a Kroger store in Westerville. As per Sky News, officials were in the parking lot due to a separate call but were informed of the shoplifting claims by an employee of the store.

By the time officers confronted Young, the 21-year-old mother was already in the driver's seat of her sedan. One of the officials asked her to leave the vehicle, but the suspect reportedly refused to comply.

Young then proceeded to drive forward, allegedly hitting the police officer. In the ensuing chaos, the police officer fired one shot at the suspect, leaving her in critical condition. The 21-year-old was promptly transported to Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital, where she died of her injuries.

In the wake of the release of the bodycam footage, authorities stated that the shooting of Young is currently under internal review. They said that it took them longer than usual to release the recording due to limitations within the department. However, despite John Belford's attempts to communicate with the residents of the town, many netizens remained enraged with the incident and called out the police department. It is worth noting that Belford is the Blendon Township Police Chief

John Belford, the Blendon Township Police Chief, released an official statement about the incident. He said that the "redaction was extremely complex" because there were two bodycams that were constantly moving along with several reflective surfaces that showed the faces of the two officers. He added combined with the legal review of the video, it took some time for the video to be released.

In a separate statement, he noted that the loss of every life is a tragedy and that Young's family is "understandably upset.

"I’ve personally spoken with a member of the family, and I will continue to keep them informed about what’s happening," the Police Chief said.

According to the GoFundMe page, the shooting was particularly tragic because Ta'Kiya Young had two young sons. At the time of her death, she was also pregnant with a girl. In the aftermath of the shooting, many Columbus citizens held vigils in tribute to Ta'Kiya Young and her unborn child.