Only hours after we received the guilty verdict on the George Floyd case, the black community was hit with one more tragedy, with a police-involved shooting, that resulted in the death of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. The 16-year-old Black young lady, Makiyah Bryant, was fatally shot by the police, after she had called them for help and protection in Columbus, Ohio.

Her “wrongdoing”? Having a blade to shield herself from the victimizer she called the police to shield her. Bodycam footage released by the police department reveals that the child was carrying a weapon that she was using to defend herself against older women who had come on her property to inflict violence. This bodycam footage also shows the officer releasing multiple shots of fire, striking Ma’Khia in her chest and killing her almost immediately. 

Here it is, another black life lost at the hands of the police, who used deadly force instead of opposing tactics to diffuse a situation. A child has called the police for protection and has somehow ended up dead. It is unfair that the police have been able to diffuse much worse situations, where people have actually been murdered, but this child could not have been tased or asked to drop her weapon.

There are a number of ways this situation could have been handled without killing Ma’Khia Bryant, and this murder is anything but justifiable. There has been a call for change for years, but actions need to speak louder than words. Today, this is just another case that we must seek victory for, nevertheless, this is a fight we should never give up, and try to protect these black lives in any way possible.