Ohio officer cleared in fatal shooting of teenager Ma'Khia Bryant
CBSSep 09, 2022
The Facts
On Fri, Ohio prosecutors announced that Columbus police officer, Nicholas Reardon, was cleared of criminal wrongdoing for the shooting and killing of Ma'khia Bryant.
The 16-yr-old was shot four times by Reardon in April 2021 as she used a knife to attack another woman. Bryant was black and Reardon is white.
The Spin
Right narrative
Reardon was put in an impossible situation that he will have to live with for the rest of his life. While the loss of life is tragic, he did what he was trained to do and saved lives in the process.
Left narrative
The shooting of Bryant is yet another example of how police officers routinely fail to de-escalate situations involving black communities. Although Bryant was holding a knife, many people question why there was no attempt to subdue her with non-lethal force. More must be done to protect black lives across the country.
Establishment-critical narrative
The foster care system is supposed to provide a safe and temporary home for children in need, but the reality is far from this. Bryant spent too long in foster care and the fact that she felt compelled to pull out a knife shows clear negligence.The system is broken and Bryant paid the price.
