WASHINGTON — In a popular Tik Tok video that has been "liked" hundreds of thousands of times, a man can be heard asking a DC police officer if they will kill him like Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus.
The officer responds "Are you gonna stab somebody like her?"
The man replied no, but then said Bryant had called the officers for help.
The context around the video is currently unknown, however, the Metropolitan Police Department said they are aware of that incident with the officer and they are investigating.
WARNING: The video below has some graphic language. Please watch at your own discretion.
Ma'Khia Bryant was shot and killed by Columbus police officer Nicholas Reardon on Tuesday.
According to Interim Chief Michael Woods, a caller reported females were trying to stab them. A dispatcher tried to obtain more information but was unable to before the call was disconnected.
The footage released by police shows Bryant appearing to try and stab a woman with a knife before Officer Reardon shoots her.
Chief Woods said officers immediately assessed Bryant for injuries, called for a medic and began CPR per division policy. During this time, an officer, believed to be Reardon, can be heard saying “she came at her with a knife.”
“You didn’t have to shoot her,” a witness is heard saying.
Bryant was taken to Mount Carmel East in critical condition where she was later pronounced dead.
Columbus police released additional body camera footage from the fatal shooting on Wednesday. The city's Director of Public Safety Ned Pettus Jr. offered sympathies to the family during Tuesday evening's press conference and said the situation will be fully investigated.