'She's trying to stab us': Columbus cops release MORE graphic bodycam video and 911 audio of 16-year-old Khia Bryant trying to knife woman before being shot dead by rookie cop
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- Columbus police officer shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant Tuesday
- Division of Police released multiple body camera recordings and 911 calls related to the case, including within hours of the shooting
- Video shows Bryant attempting to stab two women with a knife during a fight
- Officer yells 'get down!' before firing four shots at Bryant, who collapses to the ground in a pool of blood
- Officer who shot Bryant was identified as Nicholas Reardon, who has been on the force since December 2019
- Authorities had been responding to an initial stabbing call at around 4.30pm
- The shots fired call was made just 15 minutes later
- A woman at the scene - identified on Facebook as Shonnell Kelley - shared a series of videos from the shooting
- Jones
shared in the post that the teen had the knife because 'somebody tried
to jump her' and added that she was the one who called for help Columbus police on Wednesday released
additional body camera video showing 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant lunging
at another young woman with a knife before she is fatally shot by a
police officer.
During a press conference held by police leaders and city officials, Interim Chief of Police Michael Woods identified the officer who shot Bryant as Nicholas Reardon and revealed that he has been on the force only since December 2019.
Police released three body camera recordings, along with two 911 calls reporting the disturbance that ultimately led to the shooting.
In one of the horrifying videos, a girl who Bryant allegedly tried to stab is seen getting off the ground as gun shots go off.
'I didn't do anything! She was trying to stab me!' the girl is heard screaming as other officers walked over to Bryant.
A second video from a responding officer showed him preparing to render aid to Bryant who was sprawled out on the cement.
As the officer tried to help Bryant, she is heard gasping for breath. The officer is seen trying to find the entry wounds of the bullets when the video ends.
Columbus police on Wednesday released additional body camera video showing 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant lunging at another young woman with a knife before she is fatally shot by a police officer. One of the alleged victims is seen sitting on the ground as Bryant is shot
Officer Nicholas Reardon (blurred left) is seen holding his gun after shooting Bryant as people at the scene screamed at him
A second video from a responding officer showed people running off after the shooting
The video also showed another officer arriving to the scene and preparing to render aid to Bryant who was sprawled out on the cement
As the officer tried to help Bryant, she is heard gasping for breath. The officer is seen trying to find the entry wounds of the bullets when the video ends
A third video shows the view from Reardon's body camera. He's seen arriving on the scene of the fight at 4.44pm on Tuesday, and encountering several people fighting outside.
One of them, Bryant, is seen in the video swinging a knife at a young woman in shorts, who falls to the ground.
A slowed-down version of the video shows Bryant then turning her attention toward another woman in a neon tracksuit and pinning her against a parked car.
Officer Reardon pulls out his gun and repeatedly shouts: 'Get down! Get down!'
As Bryant raises her right hand clutching the knife and directs it at the woman in the tracksuit, who cowers to defend herself from the blow, Reardon fires four shots and Bryant collapses to the ground.
'You shot my baby!' a man cries out.
Faced with growing outrage from witnesses, Reardon says: 'She had a knife. She just went at her.'
A third video shows the view from Reardon's body camera. He's seen arriving on the scene of the fight at 4.44pm on Tuesday, and encountering several people fighting outside (pictured)
A slowed-down version of the video from the body camera of the officer who shot Bryant shows the teen holding a knife in her right hand and raising it toward a woman in a neon track suit. Moments later, four gunshots ring out
After Bryant was shot, the woman in the neon tracksuit she was allegedly trying to stab was able to get away
Reardon is seen holding his service weapon after firing four shots at Bryant
The man who called Bryant his 'baby' screams at the cop: 'She's a f**king kid, man. Are you stupid?'
Authorities said on one of the 911 calls, a frantic young woman is heard begging an emergency operator to send an officer to an address on the east side of Columbus on Tuesday afternoon.
'We got girls out here... trying to fight us and trying to stab us,' she shouts into the phone to make her voice heard above sounds of people screaming in the background. 'We need a police officer here now.'
Relatives have said that it was Bryant herself who called the police, but the chief did not confirm that it was her voice on the call.
In other video from body cameras worn by other officers on the scene show Bryant lying on the ground in a pool of blood as police perform CPR on her.
The victim of the police shooting was identified by her mother as Ma'Khia Bryant on Facebook
Video from officers on the scene shows police administering first aid to a mortally wounded Bryant, seen resting on the ground against a car Bryant was later rushed to Mount Carmel East Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
'We know based on this footage the officer took action to protect another young girl in our community,' Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther told reporters during Wednesday's press conference.
Police initially released portions of Reardon's body camera video within hours of the shooting in an attempt to ease tensions as Black Lives Matter protesters gathered at the scene.
Ma'khia - identified by her mother Paula Bryant on social media - died at 5.21pm, less than an hour after police were summoned to the scene.
Speaking to 10TV through tears, Paula Bryant said her daughter had called the police for protection and did not expect to be shot dead.
'This never should have happened,' she said. 'She's a loving girl.'
Paula Bryant told reporters her daughter was an honor student who was 'loving' and 'promoted peace'
Bryant said Ma'Khia lived in a foster home, but she was hoping to bring the teen and her sister back home soon. The mother and daughter last saw one another on Thursday.
It isn't clear why Ma'Khia was in foster care.
'We hugged each other. She said "Mommy, I made honor roll." She said "Mommy, I’m looking forward to coming home,"' Bryant said.
The grieving mother added that she wants her daughter to be remembered for her 'motherly nature.'
'She promoted peace,' Bryant said.
Ma'Khia's aunt, Hazel Bryant, also told reporters that the 16-year-old was a 'good kid' and 'didn't deserve to die like a dog in the street.'
Though she was originally reported by her aunt as 15, her age has now been updated to 16.
Police had been responding to a report of a stabbing before the fatal shooting. A witness said Ma'khia got into an altercation with another resident of the home and was armed with the kjnife to defend herself when police arrilved.
Officer Nicholas Reardon is seen standing on the scene after shooting and killing Bryant. He has been on the force since December 2019
Makhia Bryant - identified by her mother on social media - was taken to Mount Carmel East hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead at 5.21pm
Authorities said they had been responding to an initial stabbing call at around 4.30pm. The shots fire call was made just 15 minutes later
Authorities said they responded to the initial stabbing call at around 4.30pm. The shots fired call was made just 15 minutes later.
Columbus Police have requested Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation to respond to the scene and investigate the shooting.
Woods said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) had opened an inquiry into the case. He and the city's public safety director, Ned Pettus, Jr., appealed for calm while the investigation proceeds and facts are uncovered in what he called 'a devastating' loss of life.
'Fast, quick answers cannot come at the cost of accurate answers,' Pettus told a late news conference with the police chief and mayor.
'BCI will conduct a fully independent investigation, which will be made public. If an officer has violated policy or the law, if they have, they will be held accountable.'
Protesters soon convened at the crime scene and called for action after witnesses described what led to the shooting. Several could be seen praying over the scene while others screamed at the police for the shooting taking place just moments after the verdict for former Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin was read.
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