Jury acquits Blendon Township police officer

A jury found Blendon Township Police Officer Connor Grubb not guilty of murder, felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Ta’Kiya Young in August 2023 at a Sunbury Road Kroger store, which allegedly caused a divide between the local community and the police department.

The jury returned the verdict on Nov. 21, and Judge David Young, who is not related to Ta’Kiya Young, read the decision, according to WOSU Public Media.

After hearing six days of testimony, the jury weighed six total charges for murder, felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter. It was established that Grubb killed Young. The jury’s goal was to determine whether his actions as a police officer were justified and reasonable.

After hearing the verdict, Young’s family in the courtroom reacted emotionally.

“You killed her and her baby,” Young’s grandmother, Nadine, said as other family members yelled. “He gets to walk away free… It’s not right.”

Grubb’s defense attorneys argued their client was justified because Young tried to drive her car away after she was accused of shoplifting. They also said that Young’s car struck Grubb before he fired one shot, killing Young and her unborn child.

Young was approximately seven months pregnant when Grubb shot her. She was also the mother of two young boys.

Grubb, who was hired by the Blendon Township Police Department in 2019, was initially charged with murder and felonious assault for killing Young’s unborn child. However, Judge Young dismissed those charges since no evidence was presented at the trial that Grubb knew Young was pregnant.

The decision resulted in a divide between the local community and its police department.

Ta’Kiya Young’s family attorney, Sean Walton, said that the “system” only prevents people from “holding bad actors accountable,” according to Fox 28.

“In a case like this, you just hope that you can see some justice. And I think that across the country, those who felt like this was wrong, I think we’re all a little hurt right now,” he said.

Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Steel pushed back against this narrative, saying that Walton’s criticism avoids facing the reality of being a police officer.

“Policing is sometimes ugly. There are times you have to discharge your weapon. The chances of discharging a weapon—it’s a very low probability that you will, but very high impact,” he said.