A woman lost her life, along with her unborn child, when police opened fire after she refused to exit her car and began driving towards an officer.
The incident occurred on August 24 in Blendon Township, Ohio, and has sent shockwaves through the community.
Later, police released bodycam footage that reveals the heart-wrenching sequence of events that unfolded during this fatal encounter. The officers confronted 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young outside a local food shop. She had been accused of theft and was seated in her car.
The video shows two officers standing beside Ms Young's parked car, urging her to exit the vehicle due to the theft allegations. However, Ms Young refused and, instead, appeared to turn the steering wheel, driving the car toward one of the officers.
In a distressing moment captured on camera, the officer at the driver's side window can be seen with his gun aimed at Ms Young. He fired his weapon through the car's windscreen. The car drifted and collided with a nearby shop wall.
Both Ms Young and her unborn daughter lost their lives in this incident. The family's lawyer, Sean Walton, firmly asserts that this tragedy was not only avoidable but also demonstrates a grave misuse of power and authority.
The names of the two officers involved in the incident have not been disclosed, but they have been placed on paid administrative leave as per standard practice in cases of police use of deadly force in Ohio.
Ta'Kiya Young, a mother of two young sons, was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her baby girl. Her family remembers her as a loving mother and an excited older sister. The loss of Ms Young and her unborn child has left a void that her loved ones will carry with them.
This heartbreaking incident has prompted calls for immediate action, with demands for the officer responsible to be fired and charged. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is currently conducting an inquiry into the shooting as the community grapples with this tragic loss.