The Columbus police officer who fatally shot Ma’Khia Bryant is a military-trained marksman and son of a basic training sergeant.
Bryant, 16, was shot four times as she raised a knife to stab a woman outside a foster group home.
Audio of 911 calls released Wednesday included a female voice saying people are “trying to stab us, trying to put their hands on our grandma.”
“We need a police officer over here now,” the woman is heard saying. “We need a crisis officer over here now!”
One of the arriving officers was later identified as Nicholas “Nick” Reardon, a U.S. Air National Guardsman who received an expert marksman badge with an M4 Carbine.
Reardon yelled “What’s going on?” as Bryant tried to stab a woman wearing a pink jumpsuit and holding a small dog.
The officer shouted “Get down! Get down!” before firing four shots at Bryant.
Bryant collapsed to the ground and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
A Twitter post, dated May 14, 2020, mentioned that a Sgt. Ed Reardon with 32 years in law enforcement was retiring after training 700 recruits at Columbus PD’s Academy.
A commenter noted that “One of his son’s [sic] is currently a Columbus Police recruit,” referring to Officer Reardon.
Franklin County Children Services confirmed that Bryant was a foster child living in a foster home under the care of Franklin County Children Services.
Her aunt, Hazel Bryant, told The Dispatch that Bryant “got into an altercation with someone else at the home.” Hazel said that Bryant dropped the knife before she was shot.
With commentary. pic.twitter.com/jXuhyJBKLx
— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) April 21, 2021
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump tweeted that Bryant was “unarmed” when she was shot.
However, after reviewing the police body cam video, police and city officials determined the shooting was justified.
“It’s a tragic day in the city of Columbus. It’s a horrible, heartbreaking situation,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said Tuesday night. “The city of Columbus lost a [16-year-old] girl today. We know based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl in our community. But a family is grieving tonight. And this young [16-year-old] girl will never be coming home.”
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation into Reardon’s use of deadly force. Reardon has been taken off the streets while the investigation is ongoing.
