A tragic incident unfolded in Blendon, a Columbus suburb, as police officers fatally shot a pregnant woman in a supermarket parking lot. The woman, identified as Ta’Kiya Young, 21, of Columbus, was shot after allegedly accelerating her car towards an officer. According to Blendon Police Chief John Belford, the incident occurred when officers responded to reports of multiple individuals fleeing the store with stolen items.
A supermarket employee had alerted the officers, who were present for an unrelated matter. Among those fleeing was Ta’Kiya Young, who was accused of taking multiple bottles of alcohol. As one officer approached Young’s car and instructed her to stop, another officer positioned himself in front of the vehicle.
Despite the officer’s commands, Young allegedly put her car in gear and accelerated forward. In response, the officer in the vehicle’s path fired a single shot through the front windshield. Young’s car traveled approximately 50 feet before coming to a stop on the sidewalk outside the store. Tragically, Young was pronounced dead shortly after the incident. Her family revealed that she was due to give birth in November, and her unborn daughter did not survive the shooting. Young was also a mother to two sons, aged 6 and 3.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken charge of the case and is leading the investigation into the fatal shooting. However, the names, ages, and races of the involved officers have not been disclosed. Chief Belford confirmed that the officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure during such investigations. The police body camera footage capturing the incident exists, but its release date remains uncertain.
Young’s family has expressed their deep concerns and raised questions about the use of lethal force in this situation. Nadine Young, Ta’Kiya’s grandmother, told The Columbus Dispatch that her granddaughter’s actions did not warrant such a response. She believes that Ta’Kiya would have eventually exited the vehicle and that the shooting was unnecessary, resulting in the loss of both Ta’Kiya and her unborn child.