Who Was Nicholas Reardon?
The officer who fatally shot Bryant has now been cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury. What’s behind this decision? Is it fair? And why was Nicholas Reardon cleared when so many others have not? To answer these questions and more, read on to learn more about this complex case. A grand jury cleared an Ohio police officer of wrongdoing after fatally shooting a 16-year-old girl in, according to WKBN. The panel decided not to indict Nicholas Reardon for the death of Ma’Khia Bryant. A grand jury in Ohio has absolved a white police officer of any wrongdoing shot and killing a 16-year-old girl. According to WLWT.com, the grand jury determined that Ma’Khia Bryant was armed with a .38 caliber handgun when she charged at officer Nicholas Reardon who fired on her twice in self-defense. On the evening Ma’Khiara “Mia” Bryant had just received some sad news–her brother had been fatally shot in the chest during an argument with a rival gang member. She and some friends drove around Toledo looking for the killer and came upon police scanner chatter about a chase involving a 26-year-old white male.
Why Was Nicholas Reardon Cleared?
The driver ditched the car, fleeing on foot to a nearby house. Shortly thereafter, police officer Nick Reardon found himself face-to-face with “a very large, muscular man” who was “angry and yelling. Officer Reardon shot Ma’Khiara twice in the abdomen after they exchanged words—shots that killed her instantly. Her death was ruled a homicide almost immediately—but no charges were filed against Officer Reardon because He “was justified in using deadly force [because] he was being threatened with serious harm or death.” Mah’Kia Bryant was 16. She had just left a basketball game at her high school and went to walk with some friends to their car in the Chick-Fil-A parking lot. What happened next still isn’t completely clear, but this much is: Mah’Kia was shot and killed by Officer Nick Reardon of the Dayton, Ohio Police Department.
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