August 13, 2024 - Today marks a solemn victory in the pursuit of justice for Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn daughter, whose lives were tragically and unjustly taken at the hands of Blendon Township Police Officer Connor Grubb. Grubb now faces four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. On August 1st, Ta’Kiya and her family would have been celebrating her 22nd birthday. Instead, we remember and honor her, not as a footnote, but as the true victim in this tragic and unnecessary encounter, and as the actual beneficiary of the right to utilize Marsy’s Law, alongside her unborn daughter.

This indictment speaks to the resilience and persistence of those who demand accountability when gross misuses of power occur. Contrastingly, Connor Grubb and his partner are not victims. To use Marcy's Law to cloak officers from facing the consequences of their actions is an insult to every victim of police violence, an inversion of justice and moral accountability.

The road to this point has been arduous and long. Yet, we can assert that although delayed, the proper course was taken in securing an indictment against Officer Grubb. The actions that led to the death of Ta’Kiya — the unnecessary aggression, the chilling commands that amounted to "comply or die" — were there for us all to witness in dreadful clarity. Ta'Kiya’s life and that of her daughter were extinguished in an act of brutality, becoming yet another symbol of the urgent need for reform in police conduct and accountability.

In the aftermath of the murder, the statement from Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge #9, President Brian Steele that he could see how the shooting “could be justified” underscores a cowardly, yet consistent, readiness to excuse the inexcusable. His insistence on saying the loud part silently, that he also saw how the shooting could be viewed as a murder, proved yet again that he possesses neither the courage nor the credibility to speak for the countless officers in this city that set out each and every day to do the right thing. He upholds systems of oppression while holding back the good officers who also seek systemic change for our communities.
The grand jury’s decision, fortunately, reflects the community's collective conscience, recognizing this tragedy for what it truly is — a murder that demands empathy and justice.

As we stand with Ta’Kiya’s family, we cannot overstate the bitter irony that Officer Connor Grubb is now the fourth member of Capital City Lodge #9 to be currently awaiting trial for murder. If the FOP and Steele will not stand as authentic and reliable allies for truth and justice, then this indictment serves as a clarion call that the voices of the people will nevertheless be heard and respected. We find strength in a unified demand for accountability, transparency, and true justice, and we will continue to fight for a society where such travesties are relics of the past and not recurring nightmares, narrated by uncertified boogeymen such as Steele.
The quest for systemic change is arduous, the path fraught with resistance, but it is through our collective fortitude that change is achieved. We stand fully committed to this journey alongside the community we serve, always striving toward a more just and equitable world for all.

We thank the grand jury, but we insist that this is but a step, not the conclusion, of our collective journey towards justice for Ta’Kiya and her unborn daughter.

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