Nicholas Reardon Identified as Officer Who Fatally Shot Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus

Police have released the name of the officer who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, as well as bodycam footage they hope unravels the events leading up to the fatal shooting.

In the video footage posted by Sister 2 Sister, Reardon is seen pulling up to the scene where he yelled, “Hey! Hey!” as he pulled his gun. Next, he is heard saying, “Get down! Get down!” Four quick shots later, and Bryant fell to the ground.

The New York Times reported officer Nicholas Reardon, who had been on the force since December 2019, fired his weapon four times after police were called to the scene of a domestic disturbance.

On the call, a young female voice is heard saying, “We need a police officer here now, we got these… grown girls over here, trying to fight us.” Screaming and other noises are also audible in the background.

According to family members, the call came from Bryant, who was seeking protection from a group of girls who were threatening violence. However, the police said they could not confirm this. The call ended when police arrived at the scene.

Sister 2 Sister was the first to report the 13-second timelapse between Reardon exiting his car to when he fired off the first shot at Bryant.

Ned Pettus, Director of the Columbus Public Safety Department, said at a press conference reported by NPR, “I understand the outrage and emotion around this incident — a teenage girl is dead, and she’s dead at the hands of a police officer.”

“Our city deserves answers. I want answers, but fast, quick answers can’t come at the cost of accurate answers.”

Reardon has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is under investigation by the  Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

However, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther is asking the question many who have seen the video have been asking themselves and the police, “Bottom line: Did Ma’Khia Bryant need to die yesterday?”