A protest in front of the Ohio Statehouse in April 2021 following the police killing of Ma'Khia Bryant. Photo: Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Columbus police officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant last April will face no criminal charges, a grand jury has decided.
Why it matters: The shooting led to renewed protests against police use of force and a closer scrutiny of the Columbus-area foster care system.
- It also received national attention for occurring just minutes before a Minnesota police officer was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
Flashback: Police were called to a southeast Columbus foster home to aid with a dispute.
- Officer Nicholas Reardon shot Bryant moments after arriving on the scene. Body camera footage showed him firing upon seeing Bryant lunge at another person while brandishing a knife.
The latest: The state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation handled the investigation. Following the grand jury's decision not to indict Reardon, which was announced by special prosecutors on Friday, Attorney General Dave Yost publicly released the state's investigative documents.
- The files include surveillance videos, police interviews and other pieces of evidence.
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