Officer charged with Ta'Kiya Young's death to stay on paid administrative leave

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Blendon Township Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to place the officer who is accused of killing Ta'Kiya Young on paid administrative leave.

In a letter mailed Thursday to Blendon Township residents, the Board of Trustees said once Connor Grubb, the officer indicted in the death of Young, was charged, they began a process of review to see if disciplinary action should be taken. On Thursday, they announced Grubb will continue his paid administrative leave until more information emerges.

The review process was first taken to Blendon Township police, who asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to conduct an independent investigation. According to the trustees, only BCI and the special prosecutors in the case have access to witness interviews and other evidence.

"Officer Grubb is innocent until proven guilty," the letter read. "Until we have access to the vital information and evidence gathered by BCI, we can't make a fair decision about Officer Grubb's employment."

The trustees said until they are able to access evidence in the case, they are unable to decide further. After an executive session in a special public meeting held Thursday morning, the trustees voted unanimously to continue his paid leave until more information emerges.

Grubb was charged with four counts each of murder felonious assault and two of involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Young in a grocery story parking lot after a confrontation over an alleged shoplifting incident where Young inched her car toward him. Young, 21, was pregnant at the time of her death.

Grubb has pleaded not guilty in all charges.

Sean Walton, the Young family's attorney, said the family was devastated at the decision.

“It’s just been repeated disrespect from the point of Blendon Township and the police department rushing to call Connor Grubb a victim and to invoke Marsy’s Law when clearly he was not a victim," Walton said. "Ta’kiya should have been entitled to those protections and her family."

Walton also encouraged officials to reconsider the decision, calling it unsafe.

“If a decision was made that Connor Grubb was a threat to public safety and that in the interest of public safety he should be prosecuted for murder, then how do you simultaneously pay him taxpayer dollars during the process," Walton said.