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Ma'Khai Bryant: Columbus police shoot and kill Black teenage girl shown on video holding a knife

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Ma'Khai Bryant: Columbus police shoot and kill Black teenage girl shown on video holding a knife

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There is still so much unknown about this. This is one of the sources that looks to be still updating as time goes on.

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The Columbus Police Department released an edited version of the body camera video worn by the officer who shot Ma'Khai Bryant.
This is a developing story. Some facts reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene, and we will update as the situation develops.
(Columbus, Ohio) - A 16-year-old Black girl was fatally shot by an officer outside of her home after she called the police for help on Tuesday afternoon, according to her family.

The girl has been identified as Ma'Khia Bryant by her aunt, Hazel Bryant.

Bryant allegedly called officers at about 4:30 p.m. local time when a group of "older kids" threatened her with assault, her aunt told Ohio Statehouse News Bureau Reporter Andy Chow. She did not elaborate on the nature of the threat.

The Columbus Police Department could not say on Tuesday whether Bryant was the one to call for assistance before she was shot.

Bryant was taken to a local hospital in critical condition where she later died.

A group is now gathered outside of CPD headquarters after family confirmed to @10TV police shot and killed a 15-year-old girl. Details here: https://t.co/yS0tcK14Qv pic.twitter.com/8mkCAttsYR

- Angela Reighard (@AngelaReighard) April 21, 2021

At a Tuesday night press conference, the Columbus Police Department released an edited version of the body camera video worn by the officer who shot Bryant. Police have not yet made public the name of that officer.

Interim Chief of Police Michael Woods told reporters the officer will be pulled off of patrol duty as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation looks into Tuesday's shooting.

Columbus Police showed the video a second time in slow motion during Tuesday night's news conference. Woods said the video shows Bryant holding a knife as she pushes two girls at the scene. He said police believe she is attempting to stab both girls during the fight.

It's unclear, based on the footage, at what point Bryant gets ahold of the knife.

The fatal shooting occurred shortly before the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin who killed George Floyd was announced. It quickly drew at least a dozen Black Lives Matter protesters to the scene, WBNS News reported. The outlet said the demonstrators were on their way to rally in downtown Columbus to celebrate the guilty verdict in the Minneapolis trial where the former officer in that case was found guilty on three charges, including murder.
Footage reveals fight before shooting
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called Tuesday afternoon's events a "tragic day."

He said, "We know based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl in our community. But a family is grieving tonight."

Woods said emergency dispatch received a call at approximately 4:30 p.m. A female caller said other girls were at the home trying to "stab them and put their hands on them," Woods said. Police officers were dispatched four minutes after the call ended and they arrived at the home at 4:44 p.m.

Body cam footage shows the responding officer getting out of his patrol car as he responds to a commotion on the driveway of a home.

As he approaches a group of people standing and shouting on the driveway, he asks, "What's going on?" Seconds later Bryant and another girl begin fighting in front of the officer.

Bryant can be seen pushing the girl to the ground. She then approaches a second girl and throws her against a car parked on the driveway. The officer shouts, "Get down!" three times, pulls out his gun and shoots in Bryant's direction at least four times and she falls to the ground.

As the officer approaches her, a knife can be seen close to her.

One man standing off to the side on the driveway shouts to the officer, "She's just a kid!"

The officer then tells two other policemen on the scene that Bryant had a knife and was "coming at" the second girl.

Woods said officers summoned a medic immediately and began CPR to Bryant. The video ends as officers on scene began to treat the girl.
Details still unknown
The Columbus Police Department has handed the shooting investigation over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is a part of the attorney general's office.

Woods said that under the Columbus Police Department's policy, officers can use deadly force to protect themselves or a third person.

He would not say whether the officer violated the department's standards or use of force rules. That will be decided at a later point during an administrative review, and it will be done only after the BCI concludes its own investigation.

Woods cautioned the shooting is still very new and "we are still gathering information."

City officials said it sought to share the body camera footage hours after the shooting for "transparency." But they noted the footage they shared with the media had been edited and was incomplete.

Woods said the department must follow the Ohio law on public records before it can share the full video. He said that process should be completed and the video will be released Wednesday. They will also release other details of the shooting and the officers involved, he said.

City of Columbus Director of Public Safety Ned Pettus told reporters answers as to what happened will be released in due time. He said, "Our city deserves answers. I want answers, but fast, quick answers can't come at the cost of accurate answers."

Ginther said the city will continue to share "as much information as possible, as quickly as possible" but not at the cost of the independent investigation by BCI.

Bryant's mother described her daughter as "an honor roll student and a sweet child," WBNS reported.

This afternoon a young woman tragically lost her life. We do not know all of the details. There is body-worn camera footage of the incident. We are working to review it as soon as possible. BCI is on the scene conducting an independent investigation . . .

- Mayor Andrew Ginther (@MayorGinther) April 20, 2021

News of the police shooting also drew protesters to the Columbus Police Department headquarters, where many chanted for Bryant's name to be called.

"Say her name! Ma'khia Bryant!" they yelled outside of the station.

This is a developing story. Some facts reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene, and we will update as the situation develops.

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Columbus police shoot and kill Black teenage girl shown on video holding a knife | WITF

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This is a developing story. Some facts reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene, and we will update as the situation develops.

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An Invitation to Brave Space by  Micky ScottBey Jones

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An Invitation to Brave Space by  Micky ScottBey Jones

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Teaching on Days After: Dialogue & Resources for Educating Toward Justice: Facebook

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Teaching on Days After: Dialogue & Resources for Educating Toward Justice: Facebook

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For those that are on Facebook

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Teaching on Days After: Dialogue & Resources for Educating Toward Justice

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This group will share resources and offer a space for dialogue about teaching on days after injustice, traumas, and tragedies, on an international, national, or local scale. How do we as educators...

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Accountability, Justice, and Healing After Derek Chauvin's Trial: FH&O

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Accountability, Justice, and Healing After Derek Chauvin's Trial: FH&O

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This Facing History resource helps frame a class engagement from beginning to end. Easily scaffolded. I plan on using this with 4th grade.

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On April 20, 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter. Almost a year before, while on duty, Chauvin killed George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes. George Floyd's death sparked massive protests across the United States-and around the world. Floyd's death and Chauvin's trial amplified the demands for justice and healing in response to racial bias in policing, the disproportionate use of excessive force against Black Americans, and more broadly, the history of racial injustice in the United States.

This Teaching Idea is designed to help guide an initial class discussion on the verdict in Derek Chauvin's trial. The activities below prompt students to explore the complicated concepts of justice, accountability, and healing, while supporting them to process their feelings before engaging in a deeper study of policing and the legacy of racial injustice.

Start With Yourself

Self-reflection is important preparation for facilitating emotionally challenging conversations. As educators, we have to make time to process our own feelings and become aware of the way our own identities and experiences shape our perspectives. Read the "Start with Yourself" section on page 2 of our Fostering Civil Discourse guide. Then reflect on the following questions:

1. What emotions does the news of the guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin's trial raise for you? What questions are you grappling with? How might your personal identity and experiences impact your response?

2. As you enter the conversation, how will you take into account your racial identity, your students' racial identities, and what your students may or may not understand about racial dynamics in America?

Initial Classroom Response

The activities below will help students process their thoughts and feelings in the aftermath of the police shooting of George Floyd and the Derek Chauvin trial verdict. Note: You may want to begin your conversation by revisiting your classroom contract, or use our Contracting teaching strategy to establish one.

1. Introduce Derek Chauvin's Trial

Begin by providing your students with a summary of the trial. The overview of this Teaching Idea provides context you can share with students, or you can share a trusted news source. Starting with an overview of the facts can help ensure that students enter the discussion with background knowledge.

2. Start with a Journal Prompt

Ask students to reflect in their journals on the word justice using the following prompt:

What does justice mean? How might you define justice?

3. Introduce Key Concepts

After giving students an opportunity to think generally about justice, you will go deeper by exploring the definitions of justice, accountability, and healing.

Give students the following definitions:

Justice (n.): The moral responsibility to do what is right

Heal (v.):

become sound or healthy again

alleviate (a person's distress or anguish)

correct or put right (an undesirable situation)

Accountable (adj): To be held responsible

Ask students to reflect on what they notice about the three definitions:

What similarities do you see in these definitions?

How are they different?

4. Explore and Discuss

Place students in pairs or small groups, depending on what's possible given social distancing requirements, and ask students to discuss the following questions:

In the wake of tragic events like this, communities eventually need to heal; what do people need from each other to heal?

How does justice help communities to heal?

What role does accountability play in healing and justice?

5. Create Space for Student Reflection

Next, read these two excerpts from Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison's statement immediately following the verdict of the trial:

I encourage everyone to continue the journey to transformation and justice. It's in your hands now [. . .] I also want to address the Floyd family, if I may. Over the last year, the family had to relive again and again the worst day of their lives when they lost their brother, their father, their friend [. . .] Although a verdict alone cannot end their pain, I hope it's another first step on the long path toward healing for them.

Rodney King, Abner Louima, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Laquan McDonald, Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Anton Black, Breonna Taylor, and now Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo. This has to end. We need true justice. That's not one case. That is a social transformation that says no one is beneath the law and no one is above it. This verdict reminds us that we must make enduring, systemic societal change.

After reading Ellison's statement, ask students to participate in silent discussion using the Big Paper teaching strategy.

6. Return to Journals

Finally, return to the concept of justice. Ask students to return to their journal about the idea of justice. Consider the following questions to guide a closing discussion:

How did the definitions and the Big Paper conversation impact your original thinking?

How might you modify the dictionary definition of justice?

How does this conversation impact your thoughts about the verdict?

What was the impact of the verdict on your own community and family?

Remote Learning Note: The Big Paper teaching strategy was originally designed for use in a face-to-face setting. For tips and guidance on how to use this teaching strategy in a remote or hybrid learning environment, view our Big Paper (Remote Learning) teaching strategy.

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Accountability, Justice, and Healing After Derek Chauvin's Trial

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On April 20, 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter. Almost a year before, while on duty, Chauvin killed George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes. George Floyd's death sparked massive protests across the United States-and around the world.

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What White Colleagues Need to Understand: Learning For Justice

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What White Colleagues Need to Understand: Learning For Justice

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What White Colleagues Need to Understand

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White supremacy doesn't stop at the teachers' lounge door.

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Resources from CMSD sent out in the email blast.

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April 20, 2021

Earlier today, former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all charges in the death of George Floyd. The importance of this verdict, after so many other Black lives have been lost to senseless violence, cannot be understated. And yet, justice in this single case, for George Floyd and his family, does not bring justice to all that came before him. Justice in this case alone didn't prevent the additional senseless losses of life ​that followed, including most recently, Daunte Wright. And unfortunately, justice in this case alone will not solve the very real, continuing racial injustice that continues to exist in this country.

Today's verdict defines a profound moment in our country. We must use this moment to critically examine the systems and structures in communities across this nation and in our own community in Cleveland, ​and challenge ourselves again to address the longstanding inequities that​, together, form the public health crisis of racism and racial injustice.

As I said at the time of George Floyd's murder, each of us is either part of the problem or part of the solution. What we do or don't do today will truly determine whether George Floyd's life and the lives of so many others will be honored.

The coronavirus pandemic exposed our community to the harsh realities facing so many people of color--realities that have existed far too long. As we emerge from the pandemic, and as we reflect on this single moment, we must commit ​ourselves again to creating new systems for our communities that are more fair, just and good. My colleagues and I in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District are committed to doing so. I urge all of Cleveland and all of the country to join us - to honor all of the lives lost, including George Floyd's.

Sincerely,

Eric Gordon

The announcement of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial has drawn national attention to this and other social justice issues. During times of heightened anxiety, CMSD stands ready to support our students, parents and caregivers and educators with safe, orderly learning environments where we are committed to assisting one another through difficult times in our nation.

While routines are important, and while many students count on those routines during times of stress, our CMSD staff is prepared to assist students in processing their thoughts and feelings about the verdicts. To assist them and others in talking about this and other social justice issues, we have made these lesson plans and resources available to staff and families to assist in guiding those important conversations.

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Resources and Support / Resources on the Derek Chauvin Verdict

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April 20, 2021 Earlier today, former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all charges in the death of George Floyd. The importance of this verdict, after so many other Black lives have been lost to senseless violence, cannot be understated.

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Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts in George Floyd case: Newsela

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Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts in George Floyd case: Newsela

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This article can be leveled down to 3rd grade and up to 9th grade.

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Newsela | Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd

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The jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd last May.

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Schools Should Be Talking To Students About Black Lives Matter, Police Violence, and Racism. The Problem? Teachers Have Not Been Prepared to Meet This Moment

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Schools Should Be Talking To Students About Black Lives Matter, Police Violence, and Racism. The Problem? Teachers Have Not Been Prepared to Meet This Moment

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I just read this article for how to teach about Black Lives Matter for teachers at all different stages of comfort and understanding of dismantling racism.  It also addresses what administration can do to be supportive.

From: Kara Kirby

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Wall mural of George Floyd with angel wings

In the midst of an ongoing pandemic in which teachers have been incessantly asked to make changes onthe fly, yet another wave of anti-Black police violence has broken into the national discourse. As with each time before, many justice-minded families and community members are demanding that our schools engage students in conversations and lessons about race, racism, and policing in our country. Think pieces abound about what schools should be doing to help students understand what they are seeing and hearing on the news; yet most miss the most significant challenge: We have not prepared educators to meet this moment.

Parents like me who are committed to dismantling racism want our children to be taught by people who deeply understand social justice, but our entire education system is designed to produce educators who do not have the knowledge, skill, experience, or relationships to engage students in productive conversations about racism or police violence. For example:

· The overwhelming majority of educators learned almost nothing about race and racism in their own K-12 schooling and most graduated from teacher certification programs without learning much about racism, dialogue facilitation, classroom management, or trauma.

· There is little value placed on teaching for social justice in hiring, evaluation systems, or even curricular standards.

· 80% of teachers are white (and the majority of them do not have even one friend from a different racial background).

· The professional development and support provided to teachers once they enter the field doesn't come close to making up this gap.

Our system is not training the teachers we say we want, and so we do not have the teachers we know we need. So when we tell educators who know very little about issues of race and racism to "speak up," that they " can't say nothing," to throw out their lesson plans and talk to students about the crisis of police murder in our country, it's like telling Spanish teachers to teach calculus tomorrow because there's a math crisis. It is setting unprepared educators up for failure and setting vulnerable children up for harm.

So what do I - as a person committed to racial justice and radically reimagining schools - suggest educators should do given this reality?

First, I think any educators, schools, districts, and universities committed to racial justice (and other issues of social justice) need to commit to the long game by providing professional learning opportunities and tools to help make up for how educators were failed in their own education. If you aren't actively engaged in learning for change, chances are you aren't going to have the skills to respond in ways that adequately meet any one moment, regardless of your good intentions or desire to do so. You can't correct 30, 40, or 50 years of missing information in a 4-hour workshop, or even a 4-day or 4-month one. If you are looking into hiring a consultant or organization to help support your diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice efforts, here are ten good questions to ask.

Second, in this moment, I suggest educators get honest about what they know and who they are and choose their actions accordingly. The guiding principle should be: DO NO HARM. Here are my recommendations:

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Schools Should Be Talking To Students About Black Lives Matter, Police Violence, and Racism.

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In the midst of an ongoing pandemic in which teachers have been incessantly asked to make changes onthe fly, yet another wave of anti-Black police violence has broken into the national discourse. As with each time before, many justice-minded families and community members are demanding that our schools engage students in conversations and lessons about race, racism, and policing in our country.