(CNN) – A Columbus, Ohio police officer shot dead a black teenager on Tuesday afternoon after she tried to cut two women with a knife, authorities said and camera footage of the body shown to officers. Media.
The girl’s mother, Paula Bryant, and Franklin County Children’s Services (FCCS) identified the girl as Ma’Khia Bryant. Although local police identified her as a 15-year-old in a news conference on Tuesday, FCCS indicated the teen’s age was 16.
“Ma’Khia was a foster youth under the care of Franklin County Children’s Services,” FCCS said in a statement. “This was a tragic incident and FCCS remains committed to the family at this difficult time.”
Police responded to a call at 4:32 p.m. saying that “the women there were trying to stab them and get their hands on them,” said Michael Woods, Columbus’ acting police chief on Tuesday night.
Police officers responded to the scene and, according to camera footage from the first officer on the scene, the officer is approaching a group of people in the driveway in front of a house.
The video shows that the teenager quickly moves towards another young woman with what looks like a knife and the girl falls to the floor. The officer shouts, “Hey, hey, hey, hey, get on the ground!” before she appears to lash out at a second girl with the knife, the video said.
The broker said to him: “Come on down! Down! Down! Down! and then fires four shots at the teenager.
A police officer takes care of the shooting victim, which the police do not identify. Officers assessed the woman for injuries and called a doctor, as is protocol, Woods said.
Police had no information as to whether the other two people had been injured, Woods said.
The agent will be removed from the street pending an investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Woods added. The investigation then goes to the Franklin County investigative jury and then to the police for an internal assessment, Woods said.
“We know from these images that the agent has taken steps to protect another young woman in our community,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said at the press conference. “But a family is suffering tonight and this 15-year-old will never return home.”
Ma’Khia had a motherly nature in her. She promoted peace. That’s something I always want to remember, ”Bryant told WBNS television station.
After the shooting, a crowd gathered on the spot. Some said “enough is enough” and asked for the camera video of the body, according to CNN partner WSYX-TV.
The shooting comes on the same day that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd.
Floyd Ben Crump family lawyer tweeted: “While we have a collective sigh of relief today, a community in Columbus felt the sting of another police shooting.”
CNN’s Madeline Holcombe and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.