Ma Khia Bryant was 13 years old when Columbus police removed her and three siblings from their mother s home and placed them in the emergency care of Franklin County Children Services in March 2018.
Three years and one month later, on April 20, Ma Khia was still in the agency s custody when a Columbus police officer fatally shot her outside the foster home where she lived in the 3100 block of Legion Lane on the Far East Side.
The initial reaction to the death of the 16-year-old girl was outrage among community members who have grown weary of police killings of Black people.
But in the days since the shooting, attention increasingly has turned to questions and allegations regarding the child welfare system, specifically Ohio s foster-care system, and whether it played a role in the tragedy.
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The killing of Ma’Khia Bryant has galvanized foster parents to push for changes in how police and government agencies care for children who need a home.