Shooting in Columbus, Ohio

In the latest news, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, so now we can all go home.  Right?

Guess again Sugar Puss.  Now we get to withdraw financial support from the entire police department in any number of large cities, and pass more gun control laws.  Clearly, that will fix everything.

Meanwhile, in the middle of all this, Daunte Wright was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter, who says she got her pistol and her taser mixed up and accidentally drilled Daunte with her 40 caliber Glock.  She resigned with 16 years on the job, as did her boss.

And then, here in Columbus, Ohio, we have 16 year old Ma’khia Bryant who got herself shot and killed by the CPD yesterday about 20 minutes prior to the announcement of the foregone conclusion of the Chauvin trial.  The fertilizer hit the fan blades with the speed of light.

Here's the body-cam video for everyone who's interested.



After watching the video a few times, I wondered just what people expect the Columbus Police Department to do.  The police responded to a 9-1-1 call involving a disturbance/altercation specifying a knife attack.  Two officers arrive and see a group of four or five teenage girls.  One girl pushes and hits another girl, and the officer commands her to stop.  She doesn't.  Instead, she raises her knife and lunges for another girl standing a few yards away.  The officer shoots, the attacker hits the deck and begins her short journey to entropy.

What's wrong with this?

Ma’khia Bryant was in foster care, and was fighting with the other girls in the house.  Anyone who knows anything about the foster care system will tell you that being a foster parent is like walking through a mine field.  The foster care system doesn't tell you much about the child you're getting, what the home situation is, and what kind of psychological problems the kid might be having.  I watched my brother and his wife go through this, and believe me, it can be rough.

I'm guessing that Ma’khia had an impulse control problem compounded by other issues that probably included a substandard education and an IQ that was solidly at room temperature.  She's likely prone to violence.

I remember my dear old mother dealing with a girl like this in high school where she taught business classes.  Two girls got into it and one girl would not quit, so Mom tossed her to the floor and sat on her until she promised to behave herself.  Mom did this without notable effort, which made a huge impression on the children watching the entire fracas.

Ma’khia is not going to be a problem for anyone, ever.  At least not directly.  Indirectly, she'll be the obvious motivation for the peaceful protests which will start up again, and I'm betting the damage to Short North will be a good deal more severe this time than on the previous occasions.

We'll see if I'm right, I guess.

I'll close by thanking the Columbus Police Department for their service, along with my thanks to police departments everywhere for their service.

Here's a hoist of the morning bourbon glass and a tip of the old fedora to the men and women wearing the badge.  Thanks!