Black teenager shot dead by US policeman — on day of George Floyd verdict

A black teenage girl was reportedly shot dead by a police officer in Columbus, United States, on Tuesday — the same day verdict was delivered on George Floyd’s murder trial.

According to The New York Times, the girl was identified as Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, by a spokeswoman for Franklin County Children’s Services.

On Tuesday night, the Columbus division of police, in a news conference, said the police officer who killed the girl was responding to a 911 call about an attempted stabbing around 4:45pm in the south-eastern part of the country.

Police officials said the body camera footage of the officer showed that the teenager was charging at two other females with a knife as the officer arrived at the residence.

According to the police, the officer then shot several times at the girl, killing her.

The police authorities said the girl was taken to Mount Carmel East hospital and that she died from her injuries.

Andrew Ginther, Mayor of Columbus, Ohio, confirmed the incident in a tweet, noting that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) will conduct an investigation since there is body-worn camera footage.

Ginther asked residents to remain calm and allow BCI to gather facts on the incident as protests have begun in some part of Ohio’s capital over the killing.

“This afternoon a young woman tragically lost her life. We do not know all of the details. There is body-worn camera footage of the incident. We are working to review it as soon as possible,” the Mayor said.

— as they do with all CPD-involved shootings. We will share information that we can as soon as it becomes available. I’m asking for residents to remain calm and allow BCI to gather the facts.

— Mayor Andrew Ginther (@MayorGinther) April 20, 2021

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The incident came on the same day Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of the murder of George Floyd.

The jury at a Minnesota state court found Chauvin guilty on the three counts of murder levelled against him.

In May 2020, Floyd, an African American, died after Chauvin pinned him to the ground and knelt on his neck.

The video of the incident in which Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” went viral and sparked major protests within and outside the US.