Grubb Leaving Blendon After Being Acquitted In Shooting

BLENDON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WVLNEWS) — Connor Grubb, the police officer acquitted in the 2023 fatal shooting of a pregnant woman in a grocery store parking lot, will leave the Blendon Township Police Department under a separation agreement that includes a $150,000 payment.

Township trustees announced that Grubb will resign in good standing effective Feb. 20. The lump-sum payment is intended to cover lost pay and benefits during the roughly 2½ years he was off regular duty while facing criminal charges and an internal investigation.

Grubb was found not guilty in November on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Ta’Kiya Young, 21, who was 25 to 28 weeks pregnant at the time of the Aug. 24, 2023, shooting. Her unborn child also died.

Authorities said officers were approached by a store employee at a Kroger on Sunbury Road about alleged shoplifting. Body camera video showed officers confronting Young in her vehicle. As she drove forward and struck Grubb, who was positioned in front of the car, he fired one shot through the windshield.

An independent use-of-force review panel later concluded that Grubb did not violate department policy. Despite being cleared administratively and in court, township officials said his return to duty could present operational and safety challenges amid sustained public attention.

“This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one for Officer Grubb, for our officers, and for this community,” Township Administrator Pat Myers said in a statement.

Attorneys for Young’s family, who have filed civil lawsuits against Grubb and others, criticized the agreement, particularly the designation that he is resigning in good standing and the use of public funds for the payout.

The civil cases remain pending.

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