A crowd gathers in front of the Ohio Statehouse during a protestTuesday, April 20, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Police shot and killed a teenage girl Tuesday afternoon in Columbus just as the verdict was being announced in the trial for the killing of George Floyd. Police showed bodycam footage Tuesday night at a news conference of the officer shooting the girl, who was Black, as she appeared to attempt to stab two people with a knife. (Photo: AP)
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A black teenage girl was killed Tuesday in a police shooting in Columbus, Ohio, shortly before a jury reached a guilty verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin over the death of George Floyd.
At a news briefing in the evening, Columbus police showed bodycam footage of a responding officer shooting the girl in the afternoon as she appeared to attempt to stab two other girls.
The shooting happened around 4:45 p.m. ET (2045 GMT) at a residence in the southeastern part of the city, just minutes before Chauvin's verdict was announced.
Pronounced dead at a nearby hospital after the shooting, the girl was identified as 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant by a spokesperson for Franklin County Children's Services, who said she had been in foster care.
"This is a tragic incident for all involved, but especially for the family of the female," Columbus Interim Police Chief Michael Woods said at a news briefing as he played the footage. "We are not releasing her name yet. We want to make sure that all next of kin have been notified."
Woods added that investigators from the Columbus Bureau of Investigation will determine whether the killing complies with state law that says "deadly force can be used to protect yourself or the protection of a third person."
Woods didn't name the officer involved in the shooting but said the officer had been placed on administrative leave.
Community members gathered at the scene on Legion Lane saying "enough is enough," while others protested in front of the city's police headquarters, waving "Black lives matter" banners.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther urged residents in a Twitter post "to remain calm" and allow investigators to "gather the facts."