New bodycam, surveillance videos show what happened before Ta'Kiya Young's shooting death

Body camera and store surveillance video Blendon Township released Friday appears to contradict what the family of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young said a witness told them previously about the events that led to the Aug. 24 police shooting that killed her.

The footage shows Young and two other women going into the liquor section of the Kroger at 5991 S. Sunbury Road around 6:20 p.m. Aug. 24.

Surveillance video shows Young, who is visibly pregnant and at one point is seen cradling her belly, carrying a purse and a shopping basket. As she walks down an aisle out of view of the cash register in that part of the store, she sets the basket down and pulls a tote bag out of her purse. She is then seen putting multiple bottles of liquor into the bag and her purse.

The other two women walk into the liquor section about a minute later and speak with Young in one of the aisles.

Young, who by that point has at least eight liquor bottles concealed in her tote bag and purse, has another two bottles in the shopping basket and is waiting in line. As the other two women, who also have bottles concealed in bags they were carrying, approach her in the checkout line, the three leave together and immediately exit the store.

The footage shows none of the women setting down their bags. The other two women get into a vehicle parked in a different aisle of the store's parking lot.

Blendon Township and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation ask anyone with information as to the identities of the other two women to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.

On Friday, Sean Walton, who is representing Young's family, said the video is "more evidence of murder" and that Blendon Township's lack of comment regarding the officer's conduct, including "numerous crimes committed against Ta'Kiya" egregious. Walton also reiterated that he and Young's family believe the officer violated Blendon Township policy by standing in front of Young's vehicle and having his weapon drawn.

"If he believes that a petty theft and a slow-moving vehicle warrant the killing of an unarmed pregnant woman, then it is clear that Grubb's actions that day are directly related to his training and supervision," Walton said. "Witnesses have come forth with information regarding what they witnessed inside the store. Unfortunately, those witnesses will never be able to testify in court because Ta'Kiya's constitutional rights were violated and her due process continues to be violated as a victim of crime, who is now being villainized by the same department that murdered her."

Earlier this week, Walton said witnesses told his office that Young had put down the liquor before leaving the store.

More body camera video released Friday shows one of the officers moving the tote bag, which was on Young's left arm when she was shot. Glass bottles can be heard clinking against each other when the bag is moved.

"What is clear is that petty theft does not justify murder, and comply or die is not the rule of law in this country," Walton said. "The fact that an unarmed woman was dragged from her car and handcuffed after being shot unjustifiably should shock the conscious of everyone who watches the video, and raise further questions about Grubb’s intent that day. He intended to kill Ta'Kiya and that is exactly what he did."

After the shooting, one officer is seen running to his cruiser, grabbing two chest seals and running back to Young to apply them.

The officers are also seen handcuffing Young as medical aid is provided, in accordance with standard police procedure.

A passerby, who is an emergency room doctor, also approaches the scene, setting down his grocery bags to begin offering aid as paramedics are dispatched to the scene.

The new video comes one week after the township's initial release of body camera footage showing the shooting, during which Ta'Kiya Young, 21, and her unborn baby died.

The video released Sept. 1 showed two Blendon Township officers in the parking lot of Kroger, where they were helping someone who locked themselves out of their vehicle. A Kroger employee approached the officers and told one that Young, who had gotten into a four-door Lexus sedan, shoplifted from the store.

One of the officers approaches Young's driver's side window, knocking on the window and windshield and repeatedly telling her to get out of the car. The other officer, who Young's family and attorney identified as Connor Grubb, goes to the front of Young's vehicle, which was stopped at the time.

The video showed Young's vehicle moving forward and hitting the officer, who fired a single shot into the windshield. That shot hit Young, who died a short time later at Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital. Young's unborn daughter, who her family says was due in November, also did not survive the shooting.

External video from the Kroger store shows Young's vehicle moving forward in a manner that is consistent with hitting the accelerator in the vehicle, physically moving the officer in front of the vehicle several feet backwards.

In the body camera video released Friday, one of the officers is heard saying, "Her foot's on the gas still," as they try to pull Young from the vehicle to get her medical attention. The officers had to break Young's driver's side window to unlock the door and get to her.

After other officers arrive, the officer who fired the shot can be heard saying multiple times that Young tried to run him over.

Young's family has called for the arrest, prosecution and firing of the officer who fired the shot. Blendon Township has not confirmed the identity of the officer, citing Marsy's Law, a law enacted to protect the rights of crime victims.

The case will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury after the conclusion of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation's probe into the shooting, in accordance with Franklin County Prosecutor's office policy.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner