Ta’Kiya Young: Pregnant black woman shot by police was ‘murdered’, family’s lawyer says
A lawyer representing the family of a pregnant black woman who was shot dead by police in Ohio has said she was “murdered” and has called for the officer to be charged.
Ta’Kiya Young, 21, was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting on 24 August. Her unborn daughter also died.
Bodycam footage released by police shows the incident outside a food shop in the suburb of Blendon Township in the US state.
Ms Young had two young sons, six-year-old Ja’Kobie and three-year-old Ja’Kenlie, and was “so excited” to welcome her little girl, her grandmother Nadine Young said.
Sean Walton, a lawyer representing Young’s family, said the video clearly shows that the shooting was not justified.
“Ta’Kiya’s family is heartbroken,” he said. “The video did nothing but confirm their fears that Ta’Kiya was murdered unjustifiably… and it was just heartbreaking for them to see Ta’Kiya having her life taken away under such ridiculous circumstances.”
Mr Walton also criticised police for not releasing the video footage for more than a week after the shooting.
Ms Young’s death follows a series of fatal shootings of black adults and children by police in Ohio.
Friends comfort each other at a private candlelight vigil. Pic: AP
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The officer who shot Ms Young is on paid administrative leave while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation examines the shooting.
A second officer who was on the scene has returned to active duty. Their names, races and ranks have not been released.
A police union official said calls to charge the officer who shot Ms Young before an investigation is complete are premature.
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford called the shooting a tragedy.
“Ms Young’s family is understandably very upset and grieving,” he said in a statement released on Friday.
“While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events.”
Brian Steel, executive vice president of the union representing Blendon Township police, criticised Mr Walton’s characterisation of the shooting as murder before all the facts have been gathered.
He said an investigation will determine whether the shooting was justified.
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Bodycam footage has shown the moment a pregnant black woman was shot and killed by police in Ohio
What does the footage show?
The video shows two officers outside Ms Young’s car, which is parked outside a food shop.
In the footage, an officer can be seen at the driver’s side window.
He repeatedly demands that Ms Young “get out of the car” as she has been accused of theft.
Ms Young is seen refusing to get out of the car, turning the steering wheel of the vehicle and apparently driving towards the officer standing in front of the car.
The officer, who can be seen in the reflection on the car bonnet holding his gun at Ms Young, fires the weapon through the windscreen.
Seconds later, her car drifts until it hits the shop’s wall.
The two officers run towards the moving car.
One of them can be heard saying “shots fired” on his radio before breaking the window of the car.
Donald Trump has waded into the debate surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad.
The American Eagle ad, which features the 27-year-old actress, who starred in the HBO series Euphoria and White Lotus, has the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”.
It has sparked a debate in the US over race and Western beauty standards.
One of the Sydney Sweeney jeans ads. Pic: AP
In a Truth Social post, the US president described it as the “hottest ad out there”.
Hailing Sweeney as a “registered Republican”, he said the jeans are “flying off the shelves”, adding: “Go get ’em Sydney!”
Most of the criticism of the ad has centred on videos using the word “genes” instead of “jeans”, with one in which Sweeney says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Critics argued the play on words potentially promotes eugenics, a discredited theory that believed humanity could be improved through the selective breeding of certain traits.
But others have defended the ad, saying the critics are reading too much into its message.
The video appeared on American Eagle’s Facebook page and other social media channels, but is not part of the ad campaign.
In a statement on Instagram on Friday, American Eagle Outfitters said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Stocks in American Eagle Outfitters jumped by 23.3% after Mr Trump’s intervention.
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In his Truth Social post, which he reposted three times to fix various typos, Mr Trump compared the ad with “woke” ones “on the other side of the ledger” – as he criticised other companies, as well as hitting out at Taylor Swift.
“The tide has seriously turned – Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” he wrote.
Sky News has contacted Sweeney’s agent for comment.
Police in Tennessee have discovered 14 improvised explosive devices in a man’s home as they were arresting him, the local sheriff’s office said.
Officers were executing a warrant in the home of Kevin Wade O’Neal in Old Fort, about 45 miles (70km) east of Chattanooga, after he had threatened to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in Polk County.
After arresting the 54-year-old, officers noticed “something smouldering” in the bedroom where he was found.
Kevin Wade O’Neal. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
On closer inspection, they discovered an improvised explosive device and evacuated the house until bomb squad officers arrived at the scene.
Fourteen devices were found inside the property – none of which detonated.
Improvised explosive devices were found in Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home in Old Fort, Tennessee. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
O’Neal was charged with 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, corresponding to nine officers and two other people inside the property when the suspect tried to detonate the devices.
He also faces 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components.
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O’Neal is being held at the Polk County jail and his bond is yet to be determined.
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