Ohio Officer Acquitted in Fatal Shooting of Pregnant Woman Captured on Bodycam

Overview: A Blendon Township police officer, Connor Grubb, was acquitted on all criminal charges, including murder, in the fatal shooting of Ta'Kiya Young, a pregnant Black woman, after an encounter in a Kroger supermarket parking lot on Aug. 24, 2023. The case drew national attention after body-worn camera footage was shown at a two-week trial.

The incident: According to court testimony and video played for jurors, Officer Grubb and Sgt. Erick Moynihan approached Young’s parked vehicle following a report that she was suspected of shoplifting alcohol. Bodycam footage captured Young partially lowering her window and protesting as officers ordered her to exit the car. The recording shows Grubb with his left hand on the car's hood and his firearm drawn; Young can be heard asking, "Are you going to shoot me?" The vehicle then rolled slowly forward and Grubb fired one shot, striking Young in the chest.

The car stopped against a building; officers broke the driver’s-side window and attempted life-saving measures. Police say Young and her unborn daughter were later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Trial details: Jurors reviewed the bodycam footage and heard expert testimony during the two-week trial. Grubb attended but did not testify; a statement he provided was read into the record by a special agent from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. In that statement, Grubb said he had positioned himself in front of the vehicle to provide backup and to protect others in the lot. He said he drew his weapon when Young did not comply with commands and that he felt the vehicle strike his legs and begin to lift him before he fired.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young (no relation to Ta'Kiya Young) dismissed four of the 10 counts related to the death of Young's unborn daughter, finding prosecutors had not proven that Grubb knew Young was pregnant when he fired. The remaining charges were left to the jury, which returned not-guilty verdicts after several days of deliberation.

Reactions and next steps: The verdict prompted an emotional reaction from Young’s family. Sean Walton, an attorney for the family, called the outcome "an American tragedy" and criticized what he described as unequal justice. The family has pledged to pursue civil litigation: Young’s estate filed a suit in August against the township and the police chief alleging department practices contributed to the shooting, and a federal complaint alleges Grubb lacked proper training and supervision and "recklessly escalated" the encounter.

Grubb’s attorney, Mark Collins, said Grubb cried after the verdict and criticized protests outside the courthouse during the trial. Collins also argued Grubb should not have been charged with felony murder and said his client will have to live with the consequences of the shooting for the rest of his life.

Context: The case highlights ongoing public scrutiny of police use of force, the role of body-worn camera evidence in prosecutions, and how prosecutors and judges handle charges related to unborn children. Civil proceedings may continue to examine department policies, training, and supervision that led to the confrontation.