‘You gonna shoot me?’ Cop unjustly kills pregnant woman in Ohio, lawsuit says
.png "An Ohio officer is being sued after a pregnant woman was fatally shot in a Kroger parking lot, her family said in a lawsuit.")
The family of an Ohio pregnant woman is suing after they say a police officer unjustly killed her and her unborn baby.
The lawsuit was filed against Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb, Kroger and a Kroger employee listed as “Jane Doe.”
McClatchy News reached out to the Kroger for comment Aug. 21 but did not immediately hear back.
“The tragic loss of Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn child was tragic and we continue to extend our heartfelt condolences to Ms. Young’s family,” a spokesperson for Blendon Township police told McClatchy News in an emailed statement.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on Aug. 24, 2023, when 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young was approached by Blendon Township police officers in the parking lot of a Kroger, according to a civil complaint.
Young was sitting in her car when officers accused her of stealing while she was inside Kroger, police body camera footage shows. (Warning: Link contains excessive violence and language.)
“I didn’t steal (expletive),” Young is heard saying to an officer after he asks her to get out of the car.
At the same time, Grubb walked in front of Young’s parked car, pulled his gun and yelled, “Get out of the (expletive) car,” according to the body camera footage and lawsuit.
Young then turned her steering wheel away from the officer and slowly began to accelerate, the lawsuit said.
In the video, Young can be heard asking, “You gonna shoot me?”
That’s when Grubb shot Young through the windshield, according to the civil complaint.
Young’s car kept rolling until it struck the outside of the Kroger building and came to a stop. She was taken to a hospital, where she and her unborn baby were pronounced dead, the lawsuit said.
“It’s been almost two years since Ta’Kiya and her daughter were taken from her family. In that time, this family has carried a burden that no family should have to carry,” family attorney Sean Walton Jr. said at a news conference Aug. 20. “Two young sons are growing up without their mother. An unborn daughter, who was viable, was denied the chance to live.”
According to the Blendon Township Police Department’s Use of Force Policy, “officers should take reasonable steps to move out of the path of an approaching vehicle instead of discharging their firearm at the vehicle or any of its occupants,” the complaint said.
“At (police chief John C. Belford’s) request, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) conducted an independent investigation into the incident. However, we’ve never been provided access to the investigative findings or evidence, which has prevented us from evaluating whether our policies were followed,” the spokesperson told McClatchy News.
Grubb was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder, felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter, the lawsuit said.
The complaint said Young was talking to the other cop through her driver-side window when Grubb “recklessly placed himself in front of Ms. Young’s vehicle when the situation did not call for it.”
Young’s grandmother, Nadine Young, said the lawsuit is “about honoring her life, protecting her kids, and making sure other families don’t have to suffer like we’re suffering,” WSYX reported.
The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages.
“While the Blendon Township Police Department is not a party in the recent lawsuit, we respect the legal process and the rights of all parties involved, including the continued presumption of innocence for Officer Grubb. The Blendon Township Police Department remains committed to serving and protecting our community with professionalism and integrity as this matter proceeds through the legal system. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding during this process,” the spokesperson said.
Blendon Township is about a 15-mile drive northeast from Columbus.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM with the headline "‘You gonna shoot me?’ Cop unjustly kills pregnant woman in Ohio, lawsuit says."
