Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Cop Who Shot Ta’Kiya Young
Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Ohio Cop Indicted In Shooting Of Ta’Kiya Young
The family of Ta’Kiya Young has filed a federal lawsuit against the Ohio police officer who allegedly shot and killed her in a Kroger parking lot last year.
According to CBS News, Ta’Kiya Young was at least 25 weeks pregnant when Officer Connor Grubb allegedly shot and killed her. In August 2023, Officer Grubb and another cop from the Blendon Township Police Department arrived at the Kroger after an employee suspected Ta’Kiya Young had shoplifted several bottles of alcohol. Young was in her car when Grubb approached her and asked her to step out of her vehicle. She can be heard asking the police officers, “Are you going to shoot me?” in body camera footage of the incident.
Ta’Kiya Young’s car slowly pulls to the right when Grubb can be seen on camera firing one shot into the windshield. Young and her unborn child died as a result of the shooting. She was only 21 years old, and the mother of a five-year-old and a three-year-old. A Franklin County grand jury indicted Grubb on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and felonious assault last year. Grubb pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in a hearing for his criminal case next week.
“The reason he just discharged his weapon is because he felt the threat of serious physical injury from being hit by the car or potential death,” Mark Collins, a lawyer for Grubb, said last year after the officer was arraigned.
Having watched the bodycam video, Grubb could’ve simply stepped out of the way of the car. Ta’Kiya Young was not driving fast, and the officer’s actions actually put more people in danger as Young lost control of the car after she was shot.
“Without reasonable verification or investigation, the officers recklessly escalated their response, singling out Ms. Young and treating her as a dangerous criminal despite the minor nature of the allegations,” the federal lawsuit claims. The lawsuit also alleges that Grubb has had other “aggressive encounters with community members,” with multiple complaints of misconduct filed against him.
While I couldn’t find documentation of those complaints, it’s not hard to believe. So often in cases like this, the officers involved have a history of misconduct and even firings. A fry cook is more likely to get fired at a McDonald’s for burning some fries than a cop is for engaging in serious misconduct.
The Sonya Massey Act was passed in Illinois because her death could have been prevented if the cop who shot her had gone through a stricter background check and his previous misconduct was taken seriously.
Heck, Grubb is technically still employed by the Blendon Township Police Department despite his indictment. It was only in June of this year that the Blendon Township board of trustees voted to transfer Grubb from paid to unpaid administrative leave.
The federal lawsuit filed by Ta’Kiya Young’s family makes a single claim of municipal liability. The family is seeking damages along with an order to stop the policies that deprived Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn child of their constitutional rights. Young’s family also filed a lawsuit against Kroger and one of the store’s employees in August, which makes claims of wrongful death and negligence.
SEE ALSO:
Ohio Cops Kill Pregnant Black Woman
Bodycam Video Released In Pregnant Black Woman’s Killing
Ta’Kiya Young’s Funeral Announced As Cop Avoids Accountability
Ta’Kiya Young Laid To Rest After Police Shooting
