COLUMBUS, Ohio — Community leaders from across Columbus began gathering Saturday afternoon to pay respects to Ma’Khia Bryant after she was fatally shot by officer Nicholas Reardon on Tuesday.
More than a hundred people joined in on the protest in front of the Statehouse in downtown Columbus wearing crocs in her honor.
In the body camera video, Bryant is seen wearing bright-colored crocs.
“Everybody looks so amazing, with their crocs on. That was a good idea,” said one of the event organizers Joshua Williams.
Body camera video shows police arriving at Legion Lane on Tuesday after receiving a call from someone saying another person was trying to stab them.
That footage also shows Bryant lunging at another woman with a knife in her hand before Officer Reardon fired shots.
India Curry thought to hold Saturday’s protest event after seeing her mother organize other similar demonstrations. She said she thought of the idea to have attendees wear crocs.
“It just stood out to me and so I started to put them on the flyer and say that if you have them, wear them. Maybe go buy them to wear today,” Curry said.
Williams and Curry have taken part in several different types of demonstrations in front of the Statehouse in the last year, including those for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Williams said the protests are a step toward change, but he hopes to get attention from lawmakers for more to be done to protect those of color.
“We want the governor to understand that we want Ohio safe for Black and brown people. Because we’ve had enough and it’s just as simple as that,” Williams said.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is currently handling the investigation.