The latest on the police killing of a Black teenager in Ohio

By Mike Hayes, Fernando Alfonso III, Meg Wagner and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 10:02 PM ET, Wed April 21, 2021
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4:02 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Columbus Police name officer who fatally shot 16-year-old

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

Columbus Police said Wednesday that Nicholas Reardon, the officer who discharged his weapon killing a teenager, was hired in December 2019.

CNN previously reported the department interim chief saying the officer was taken off the street while an investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office takes place.

CNN is attempting to reach the officer.

Calls to the police union for Columbus PD have not been returned.

3:53 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Ohio governor on Ma'Khia Bryant shooting: "That's a horrible, horrible tragedy"

From CNN's Melissa Alonso 

Ohio Channel
Ohio Channel

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called the fatal police shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant a "horrible tragedy" and praised Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther for releasing the video of the incident and being transparent with the public.  

"You cannot get over the fact that you have a teenager who's dead and that's a horrible, horrible tragedy," DeWine said at a Wednesday briefing. "We have to look at the facts."

The governor said he saw the bodycam video of the incident prior to his afternoon news conference.  

 "It's always a judgment....did [police] exercise reasonable force based upon the facts of that particular circumstance," the governor said. "Let the facts take us wherever the conclusion is."

"We should have enough compassion to worry about every child who is shot in our cities," DeWine added. "And we should not accept it," he said about violence against children.  

"The loss of every child who is dying in our cities, who is killed by a knife, or by gun, we should worry about them and we should try to get to the root cause of that," the governor continued.  "Unfortunately, when we hear about a shooting that's a non-police involved shooting, somehow, for us just doesn't have the impact."

3:27 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Here's what we just learned about the Columbus police shooting

CNN
CNN

Officials in Columbus, Ohio, just wrapped a press conference on the fatal police shooting of a Black teenager Tuesday afternoon.

The city's mayor and interim police chief weren't able to provide much additional detail because the investigation is being handled independently by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

If you're just reading in now, here's what we learned during today's press conference:

  • Columbus released more video and audio today: Officials played more body-camera videos from the officers on scene, as well as 911 calls leading up to the incident that resulted in the police involved shooting death of a teen. The mayor said they plan to release more footage later today or tomorrow.
  • Police and medical personnel tried to save the teen's life: The interim Police Chief Michael Woods said officers attempted life saving measures “almost immediately” after shots were fired, including an assessment of injuries and CPR by two officers. Medics also responded within 90-seconds of shots being fired and performed life-saving measures, including transport to a local area hospital.
  • The incident is being investigated independently: Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is "the first step" in "unraveling" what led to "the tragic death" of a Black teen in the Ohio city yesterday.

3:08 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Acting police chief: "I sure as hell wish it hadn't happened"

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

Columbus Interim Police Chief Michael Woods ended the press conference this afternoon saying the killing of the year old girl was a "tragedy," regardless of what might have occurred.

"It's a tragedy," he said, when a reporter asked him for his take, after watching the police body camera footage. "There's no other way to say it. It's a 16-year-old girl."

Woods then added a personal note, drawing from his own experience as a father.

"I'm a father," he said. "Her family is grieving. Regardless of the circumstances associated with this, a 16-year-old lost her life yesterday. I sure as hell wish it hadn't happened."

3:04 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Police chief: If officer is "faced with someone employing deadly force, deadly force can be the response"

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

Interim Columbus Police Chief Michael Woods said Wednesday officers faced with someone “employing deadly force” can respond with deadly force.

He was asked generally about the policy of police use of tasers versus guns, and he made clear he was not able to comment on this specific incident.

He said generally “when officers are faced with someone employing deadly force, deadly force can be the response the officer gives.”

“If there’s not deadly force being perpetrated on someone else at that time, an officer may have the opportunity to have cover, distance and time to use a taser. But if those things are not present, and there’s an active assault going on in which someone could lose their life, the officer can use their firearm to protect that third person,” he said.

The chief had little to share about witness statements and who made the 911 calls as police did not interview the witnesses, adding that while police assisted in separating witnesses at the scene, they did so to allow the Bureau of Criminal Investigation the opportunity to investigate and question them.

SEE IT HERE:

3:13 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Columbus public safety director: "I understand the outrage and emotion around this incident"

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

Ned Pettus, Columbus public safety director, called the police shooting death of Ma’Khia Bryant a "horrendous tragedy" and urged the community to not rush to judgement until the report from the independent investigation is released.

"The video shows there is more. It requires us to take pause," Pettus said during a news conference.

"I understand the outrage and emotion around this incident. A teenage girl is dead at the hands of a police officer. Under any circumstances, that is a horrendous tragedy. The video shows there is more to this. It requires us to pause, take a close look at the sequence of events though it's not easy, wait for the facts as determined by an independence investigation," he said.

Pettus made a plea to the community to not rush to judgement.

"As Chief Woods has indicated, a fully independent investigation is being conducted by (the Bureau of Criminal Investigation). The results will be public. So, I plead with the community, let us not rush to judgment. As I said last night, fast facts should not come at the cost of complete and accurate facts. The loved ones of Ma’Khia Bryant have my most sincere sympathies. We as a community could wrap them in love and we should allow process to play out," he said.

WATCH HERE:

2:32 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

More police video will be released today or Thursday, mayor says

Mayor Andrew Ginther said police will soon release more video from the incident Tuesday afternoon that resulted in a Black teen being shot and killed in Columbus by a police officer.

Police will be releasing more body-cam footage from "witness officers here this afternoon," Ginther said.

"We will release cruiser cam video either today or early tomorrow morning," he added.

2:30 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Columbus mayor says independent investigation is the "the first step"

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is "the first step" in "unraveling" what led to "the tragic death" of a Black teen in the Ohio city yesterday.

Ginther noted that the city has released body-camera footage of the incident, adding that they plan to release additional footage from officer body cameras and police cruisers later today or tomorrow.

3:03 p.m. ET, April 21, 2021

Columbus police release 911 calls related to fatal shooting of teen

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

Columbus officials played more body camera videos from the officers on scene, as well as 911 calls leading up to the incident that resulted in the police involved shooting death of a teen.

The interim Police Chief Michael Woods said Wednesday officers attempted life saving measures “almost immediately” after shots were fired including an assessment of injuries and CPR by two officers.

The interim chief added that 90 seconds after the shots were fired, medics were alerted to go to the scene, and six minutes after the shots were fired, a medic arrived and performed life-saving measures, including transport to a local area hospital.