Bodycam Footage of Ma'Khia Bryant Shooting by Columbus Police in Ohio - PoliceActivity

[ItsjustMe]

This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Columbus, Ohio — Columbus police released body camera footage and two 911 calls in fatal shooting of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant. Police say they were called to the scene around 4:30 p.m. on a report of someone attempting to stab others at a home. The bodycam footage shows that as soon as police pulled up, Bryant tackles another female to the ground and had what appeared to be a knife in her hand. Bryant can then be seen charging at another female while raising the purported knife in the air, at which point the officer opened fire. The officer, identified as Nicholas Reardon, fired his weapon several times while Bryant and another girl were struggling against the side of a parked car. A knife could be seen next to Bryant's body after the shooting.

[Siwsan]

1. My first thought was, the girl in pink is lucky she wasn't shot, too

What I don't understand is why they never seem to fire 'disabling' shots, maybe to the legs. Full disclosure - I've fired exactly 2 guns, in my life. Both while in the Navy, and both because it was required. I found it a terrifying experience, and couldn't want to put the gun down and leave the area.

[localroger]

2. Disabling shots -- they are explicitly taught not to

The message in training is, if you fire a gun at another person, you aim to kill. Full stop. You do not even aim a gun at another person unless you are ready to kill them. Any "disabling" shot that fails is an invitation to be killed yourself by an informed response if your attempt fails. And in this case, the gunshot victim was herself lunging toward another person with a knife. This is a split-second decision, and the officer who shot her was acting in full accordance with normal police training. He was firing to save the life of the person who was not conducting the attack. This is also in accordance with normal police training; lethal force is justified if you believe a lethal crime is in progress.

I myself was joyous at the outcome of the Chauvin trial, and I'm white. But not all things are that, and this thing is not that. This is a cop doing exactly what he was trained to do in a split-second situation where hesitation could have meant the death of an innocent civilian. He will go through the usual review, and be exonerated, as he should be. There are bad cops and bad shootings but this isn't one of them, despite its unfortunate timing with respect to the Chauvin verdict.

[Siwsan]

3. That was the first time I saw the video.

I have no idea of the background story but, again, the girl in pink should be thanking her lucky day.

[LisaL]

4. Trying to shoot into a small target (arm or leg) is precisely how the girl in pink and other

bystanders would have ended up shot.

[Siwsan]

5. Like I said - I'm not a gun person. They terrify me

So info from those with knowledge is appreciated.

[bullwinkle428]

9. You are the FIRST person I've seen in all of these discussions to bring up that

particular point, and IMO, it's an incredibly valid one! I'm not sure if you've ever seen stories that have attempted to document the average police officer's ability to hit a target with their weapons, and it turns out that most of them are actually lousy shots.

My only experience with guns occurred in college, when I took a riflery course as a phys. ed. option. We used .22 long rifles with scopes. I did just fine, but never felt compelled to own a firearm in all of the years since I tried it.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Lawrence O'Donnell asked Cedric Alexander the same question last night

His response was the same as you’ve received from a few people here. Police officers are specifically trained not to do that.

[Siwsan]

18. Yes - I watched that segment. Very informative and clarifying

The long and the short of it is, I keep flashing back to the video of the traffic stop in Colorado where the white guy actually THREATENED cops with a gun that was on the seat, next to him. Repeatedly threaten to shoot them. And they spent a whole lot of time working to calm the situation. As I recall, he also took off with no shots or tasers employed by the cops. Apples and oranges? Perhaps but I can't shake that visual.

[BeyondGeography]

19. Unequal treatment

Would a skinny, nerdy looking white kid have met the same fate as Elijah McClain in Aurora? Or any number of other examples. Which is why even when the cops have their reasons, as they did in this case IMO, they still have lots to answer for.

[WHITT]

6. It's My Understanding

this was a home invasion. A number of females entered the home uninvited, and began to assault Ma'Khia, who called 911. Things escalated, she grabbed a knife in self-defense, and drove the others out of the house and into the front yard, when the cop drove up, got out of his vehicle, and shot her four times.

Supposedly, after numerous people were complaining to the cop about him over-reacting, he started yelling, "BLUE LIVES MATTER!".

Wow. Shades of Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore.

[LisaL]

8. Where exactly did this understanding come from?

It was a foster home. I think all of them lived there.

[WHITT]

14. From

person(s) in the house, who reiterated what they witnessed to her aunt.

[LisaL]

16. Her aunt was claiming right after the incident that her niece dropped the knife

before she was shot. That clearly isn't accurate. So I am not going to trust statements coming from persons in the house who reiterated what they witnessed to her aunt.

[WHITT]

20. Non Sequitur

[OilemFirchen]

10. Wow.

Shades of Assistant District Superintendent Eric Arthur Blair.

[dixiechiken1]

7. Tragic, but as far as I can tell...

The policeman was completely justified in shooting her. That girl in pink is most likely still alive thanks to him.

[magicguido]

12. How would the Norweigan Police have handled this? Not shoot them then give CPR.

[peppertree]

13. And just like that. Trump isn't so enamored with Norway anymore.

"I mean, I thought they were all like that Thor guy in the movies!"

[pfitz59]

15. Time tag 1:40

Girl who gets shot tries to stab girl in pink. Cop fires in defense of other. The situation (as usual) was totally chaotic. He likely saved the girl in pink.