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Ma'Khia Bryant: 3 White officers shout Blue Lives Matter at shooting scene after killer cop stands over corpse

'I hate to think this, y’all bring me down. Is this in retaliation for the Chauvin conviction?' wondered a user

Just as the world was rejoicing over Derek Chauvin's trial verdict on April 21, 2021, America was shaken yet again by the news of the death of a 16-year-old Black girl in the hands of a cop. On Tuesday afternoon, a Columbus police officer shot and killed a girl who has been identified as Ma'Khia Bryant by her family. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead. While Ma'Khia's family was mourning her loss, three White police officers gathered at the scene of the shooting and began chanting 'Blue Lives Matter'. When the clip of the police officers' chants in front of the mourning family began circulating on the internet, needless to say, it garnered some very strong reactions. 

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In the clip we see three White police officers standing at the scene of crime and chanting 'Blue Lives Matter'. A Black man immediately calls out the officers and says it's an 'insult' and points out the site where they are standing is the site of M'Khia's death. A woman behind the camera can be heard saying that 'boy, shut the f*** up, because blue lives don't matter right now. I don't want to hear none of that dumb s***. This 15-year-old just got killed and you're telling me blue lives matter.. He shot her because she had a knife.."

You can watch the clip here

As the video began going viral, the internet was filled with rage against the three unidentified police officers who were being extremely disrespectful. A user tweeted, "#PoliceReform #PoliceReformNow @TheDemocrats The arrogant racist police can't keep their mouths shut, making them easy to identify. They should be investigated, along with their close associates & removed from their positions. Time for real change. #PoliceReformNow."

Another user seconded the demand for the officers' in the video to be fired from their position. "The officers chanting blue lives matter at traumatized Black victims should be suspended. Their disrespect is disgusting. They stain Columbus. How do they sleep at night? Shooting point blank at a 15 yr old girl. The Chauvin verdict is the beginning of a national movement."

One user wondered if this was in retaliation to Chauvin's verdict. "I hate to think this, y’all bring me down. Is this in retaliation for the Chauvin conviction?" "This you, @ColumbusPolice?! This how your officers react to killing a 15 year old calling 911 for help?!" questioned another. One user pointed out, "Look at it this way - they are showing the black people their place; that they have all the power, absolute power and they will not be cowed by one Derek Chauvin being punished. They will continue to dominate & rule black lives. It's a psychological war not just physical."

The cop who reportedly shot Ma'Khia 'four times in the chest' was seen standing over her body and staring at it just moments after the shooting. The entire shooting was filmed on a cell phone by a woman named Shonnell Kelley. According to the Daily Mail, she shared a series of videos from the shooting, including one of the officers who allegedly shot the teen. 'This is the racist a*s b***h, that shot this poor f*****g girl,' she said in one clip, showing the officer and just part of the girl's body. 'I'm not going to put this sh*t on camera but he shot this f*****g girl, talking about she is trying to stab him. Da f**k, this is somebody's f****g daughter. B***h!" she wrote on the post.

Kelley also revealed that the young girl had a knife on her because 'somebody tried to jump her'. Ma'Khia was reportedly the one who called the police for help. She also added that the cop 'didn't tell her to put it down didn't ask questions or nothing.'  The name of the cop who shot Ma'Khia hasn't been disclosed yet. 

The Mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Andrew Ginther took to his Twitter to assure the public that a thorough investigation would be conducted. He wrote, "This afternoon a young woman tragically lost her life. We do not know all of the details. There is body-worn camera footage of the incident. We are working to review it as soon as possible. BCI is on the scene conducting an independent investigation, as they do with all CPD-involved shootings. We will share information that we can as soon as it becomes available. I’m asking for residents to remain calm and allow BCI to gather the facts.”