COLUMBUS, Ohio — This week people have been expressing their pain behind the death of Ma’Khia Bryant through protests and gatherings.
People did just that at Columbus City Hall Friday night to express another emotion.
“We’re going to uplift and encourage and foster the environment of healing. We’ve been through so much and so many of us are traumatized,” said Kiara Yakita, with the Black Liberation Movement of Central Ohio.
She said they just want people to realize how important black lives are and how important Ma’Khia’s life was.
Body camera video from Columbus Police Officer Nicholas Reardon shows Bryant lunging at another woman with a knife in her hand.
Reardon shot Bryant multiple times.
Her death has ignited the conversation for change amongst many organizations that were at Columbus City Hall Friday.
“Gatherings like this, whether the numbers are big or little, whether we have 2,000 or 20, it’s to elevate consciousness. It’s to let people know that there is very much a problem,” said Yakita.
They took their message to the street toward the Columbus Division of Police Headquarters.
There, they left flowers at the doorstep hoping people will understand why they’re in pain.
“We’re going to keep showing up. We’re going to keep being visible. We’re here to show you that the people, the community are extremely upset and are demanding justice,” said Yakita.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation into the shooting.