As we celebrate former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin being found guilty for second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the death of George Floyd, here we go again with reports of another Black life lost at the hands — and guns — of cops. This time, it was another kid — a teenaged girl later identified as Ma’Khia Bryant who was fatally shot by Columbus, Ohio police.
According to her aunt, Hazel Bryant, she was the one who called the cops, as well as her grandmother and father, for help. Apparently, the Black teenager was living in a foster home. When a number of adult women came to her house, an altercation ensured. So, Makiyah picked up a knife to defend herself.
“Makiyah was in front of the house fending off a physical assault when police arrived, and she had already dropped the knife in the yard. But police shot her four times without any warning,” Yahoo reports.
A number of people witnessed the incident, including one woman named Tay Jones who wrote about it on Facebook. Jones said the teen initially had a knife in her hand “because somebody tried to jump her.”
Hazel said: “The police are going to lie. I’m so thankful that someone from the family was actually on the scene. The police are going to lie. The police are going to cover up for themselves. They don’t care. At this point, I feel like they’re just out to kill Black people. They’re not here to protect and serve. That isn’t happening. That’s been over a long time ago. They’re not here to protect and serve. They’re here to kill Black folks.”
After being shot, Makiyah was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. “She was a good kid. She was loving,” her aunt continued. “…She didn’t deserve to die like a dog in the street.” Protesters have since arrived at the scene.
See video of the aftermath of the shooting below.