A grand jury has indicted a Blendon Township, OH police officer on murder charges for the fatal shooting of a Black woman in 2023. According to NBC News on Tuesday (Aug. 13), Connor Grubb was accused of killing 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young following an alleged shoplifting incident. The indictment also included charges of felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter.

The tragic moments, captured on body camera footage, sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability. The video showed two officers confronting Ta’Kiya in the parking lot of a grocery store. She refused repeated orders to exit her vehicle, and, as the situation escalated, one officer drew his weapon and pointed it at her through the windshield. In an apparent attempt to escape, Ta’Kiya drove away, and one of the officers – identified in the report as Grubb – fired a single shot, fatally striking her.

In addition to being a mother of two, Ta’Kiya was pregnant at the time of the shooting and her unborn daughter did not survive. "My understanding is she locked the car doors because she [saw] the police coming at her with guns," said Ta’Kiya's grandmother, Nadine Young, shortly after the tragedy took place. "She was scared for her life. They didn't have to kill her and her baby."

The family’s attorney, Sean Walton, had been vocal in criticizing the officer’s actions, and argued that Grubb escalated the situation and used excessive force. "The grand jury’s decision, fortunately, reflects the community's collective conscience, recognizing this tragedy for what it truly is -- a murder that demands empathy and justice," Walton added in a statement.

The police department initially defended Grubb, claiming he acted in self-defense. Since then, Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford confirmed that Grubb was placed on administrative leave. The other officer, who hadn't been named, has since returned to duty.