Ma’Khia Bryant Was a 16-Year-Old Girl and She Should Still Be Here

Moments before the country waited to see if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin would be held accountable for murdering George Floyd in 2020, a police officer shot and killed a teenage girl in Columbus, Ohio. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges he was charged with—but that moment, however brief and not enough, of celebration, relief, catharsis was shattered by the wrongful loss of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant.

According to the officer’s body cam, Ma’Khia was shot four times after an alleged altercation with two other girls. Ma’Khia’s aunt Hazel Bryant told the Columbus Dispatch that Bryant lived in a foster home and got into an altercation with someone else at the home. Her family alleges Ma’Khia called the police for help and protection.

On Wednesday, Columbus police released the 911 call and in it, you can hear a female voice saying, “We need a police officer here now.” After a bout of background noise, the person continues, “We got these...grown girls over here, trying to fight us.” Police said they have not identified the caller.

The shooter was identified as officer Nicholas Reardon, who, according to body cam footage, fired at Ma’Khia within about 10 seconds of arriving on the scene. He is now being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation

Ma’Khia’s mother, Paula, told local TV station, WBNS: “Ma’Khia had a motherly nature about her. She promoted peace. That is something that I want to always be remembered.” She continued, “My daughter dispatched Columbus police for protection, not to be a homicide today.”

Ma’Khia’s death comes nearly a year after the country erupted in protests over police brutality against Black people, fueled by the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The Chauvin trial brought accountability to one police officer in Minnesota, but as many protestors and activists have repeatedly said, there is no justice when police brutality still exists. Chavin’s trial began on March 29, and since then, members of law enforcement killed at least 64 people, according to a report from the New York Times. One conviction is not enough to dismantle a corrupt police system that was developed as a slave patrol.

As the country grieves for Ma’Khia Bryant—and all other Black lives lost at the hands of police officers—many are coming forward to honor her memory, by specifically not sharing the body cam footage of her final moments and instead focusing on the sparkly hair tutorial TikToks she’d shared. The joyful, talented, spirited young girl in butterfly clips. The teenager full of life and possibilities. The 16-year-old who on Tuesday was just calling for help.

The work to fight police brutality is ongoing. Consider this list of resources a starting place to educate yourself, help fight these injustices, and speak out about Bryant’s death.

• ACLU Ohio Chapter: The statewide chapter of the ACLU routinely fights for civil liberties for Ohio residents, like Ma’Khia Bryant and her family.

• Equal Justice Initiative: EJI is a nonprofit that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons.

• Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp: Kaepernick’s organization aims to advance the “liberation and well-being of Black and brown communities,” encourage future leaders, and provide legal resources.

• National Bail Fund Network: A list of protest support bail funds for protestors and organizers.

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