COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The murder trial of an Ohio police officer continued Thursday in the 2023 shooting death of a pregnant Black mother he and another officer confronted about an accusation of shoplifting.
Connor Grubb is charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Ta'Kiya Young, 21, and the unborn girl due three months later. It wasn't clear whether Grubb would take the stand after the officer's written statement was read into the record on Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
Grubb and the fellow officer from the Blendon Township force had approached Young's car on Aug. 24, 2023, about a report she was suspected of stealing alcohol from a grocery store in suburban Columbus. She partially lowered her window, and the other officer ordered her out. Instead, she rolled her car forward toward Grubb, who fired a single bullet through her windshield into her chest, video footage showed.
A special prosecutor told the jury during opening statements last week that Grubb lacked justification for shooting Young, arguing she did not pose a threat to him or anyone at the time of the encounter. The defense countered that Young's acceleration of her vehicle in Grubb's direction was grounds for the 31-year-old officer's actions.
In Grubb's written statement, read to the jury by a special agent for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the officer said he observed Young arguing with his fellow officer and positioned himself in front of her vehicle to provide backup and to protect other people in the parking lot.
He said he drew his gun after he heard Young fail to comply with his partner's commands. When she drove toward him, he said in the statement, he felt her car hit his legs and shins and begin to lift his body off the ground.
The defense’s expert witness supported that argument Thursday during testimony.
Geoffrey Desmoulin, principal at GTD Scientific, a forensic investigation service that specializes in injury biomechanics, incident reconstruction and product safety, said once Young’s car began to move, Grubb wouldn’t have been able to move out of the car’s path.
“It would not have been possible for Officer Grubb to react quickly enough after sensing continuous forward movement of the Lexus driven by Miss Young to move out of the travel path of the vehicle before his lower body was contacted by its front bumper,” he said.
Some members of Young’s family had left the courtroom on Monday, the first day of testimony, as jurors were shown the bodycam footage of the shooting.
The video showed an officer at the driver’s side window telling Young she was accused of shoplifting and ordering her out of the car. Young protested and both officers cursed at her and yelled at her to get out. Young could be heard asking them, “Are you going to shoot me?”
Then she turned the steering wheel to the right, the car rolled slowly forward and Grubb fired his gun, footage showed. Moments later, after the car came to a stop against the building, they broke the driver’s side window. Police said they tried to save her life, but she was mortally wounded. Young and her unborn daughter were subsequently pronounced dead at a hospital.
An Ohio county coroner testified Thursday on behalf of the state that he saw no evidence of Young’s unborn child dying in the womb prior to the shooting.
Montgomery County Coroner Kent Harshbarger told a prosecuting attorney during questioning that the fetus was between 25 and 28 weeks old and would have been “able to survive outside the womb” but “need medical support.”
A full-time officer with the township since 2019, Grubb was placed paid administrative after the shooting
Mark Collins, one of the officer’s attorneys, had told reporters after Young’s arraignment that the video shows the shooting was justified, saying the officer was facing a threat of serious physical injury or death from being hit by the car.
Sean Walton, the family’s attorney, has said Grubb escalated the encounter by unnecessarily drawing his gun when he first confronted Young.
A person stands outside of the Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)
FILE - Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb listens while appearing via video from jail for his arraignment hearing, Aug. 14, 2024, at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in Columbus. (AP Photo/David Dermer, File)
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills joined the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams in advancing to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
Allen led the Bills to a 27-24 comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first of three wild-card playoff games on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers (12-5) took on the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) in the middle game and the New England Patriots (14-3) will host the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) in the nightcap.
Allen scored on a 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter and Cole Bishop intercepted Trevor Lawrence's pass to secure Buffalo's first playoff win on the road since the 1992 AFC championship game at Miami.
The No. 6 seed Bills will wait to find out their next opponent. It's the sixth straight season under coach Sean McDermott that Buffalo has reached the second round of the playoffs.
On Saturday, the NFL playoffs kicked off with two wacky games.
The Bears (12-6) trailed the Green Bay Packers 21-3 at halftime and 27-16 with just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter before Caleb Williams threw a pair of touchdown passes. His 25-yard TD toss to D.J. Moore put Chicago ahead 31-27 with 1:43 remaining. Then Jordan Love's desperation heave into the end zone from the Bears 28 was knocked down as time expired to secure Chicago's first playoff win since the 2010 season.
Williams finished with 361 yards passing, two TDs and two interceptions for the No. 2 seed Bears, who will host the Rams (13-5) or Eagles next weekend.
In the opener on wild-card weekend, Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson in the final minute and the Rams rallied to beat the Carolina Panthers 34-31 in a game that was much closer than expected.
The Rams were double-digit favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook against the Panthers (8-10). The Rams jumped to a 14-0 lead, but couldn’t take advantage of first-half turnovers and allowed Carolina to get within 17-14 at halftime.
Stafford, who earned All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career on Saturday, threw for 304 yards, three TDs and had one pick. Puka Nacua, who was a unanimous All-Pro selection, had 10 catches for 111 yards and one TD and also had a 5-yard TD run.
The Rams are back in the divisional round for the second straight season. Last year, they were 13 yards away from eliminating Philadelphia before a sack and an incomplete pass ended their season with a 28-22 loss.
No. 5 seed Los Angeles will face No. 1 seed Seattle if the Eagles lose to the 49ers.
Bryce Young’s 7-yard TD pass to Jalen Coker put the Panthers ahead 31-27 with 2:43 remaining but Stafford drove the Rams 71 yards in two minutes. Parkinson made an outstanding, tightrope catch for the winning score and the defense held.
Behind coach Dave Canales and improved QB Bryce Young, the Panthers have reason to be optimistic about the future after winning a weak NFC South and nearly pulling off a major upset.
The Packers (9-8-1) finished the season with five straight losses. They were 9-3-1 before All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL in a loss to Denver on Dec. 14.
On Monday night, Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) host DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (12-5).
The Denver Broncos (14-3) are the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the Seahawks (14-3) got the top seed in the NFC. Each team earned a bye and will host the lowest remaining seed next weekend.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates his touchdown with tight end Dawson Knox (88) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams looks to throw during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams celebrates after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts after a first down during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson, center left, celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
