Jury selection began Monday for the murder trial of Blendon Township Police officer Connor Grubb for killing Ta'Kiya Young in Aug. 2023.
Grubb is charged with first-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault for shooting Young and causing her death and the death of her unborn child. This is the latest case of a police officer being put on trial for murder in Franklin County following former Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy's conviction last year in the murder of Andre Hill.
Young was accused of shoplifting from the Sunbury Road Kroger store when Grubb and another officer confronted her that day. In body camera footage, Grubb stepped in front of Young's car and when Young drove forward, she pushed Grubb as he fired his gun once through her windshield.
Since the shooting, Grubb has been on paid administrative leave from the Blendon Township Police Department.
Grubb sat quietly as his defense attorneys, Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens, and the special prosecutors from Montgomery County began interviewing the jurors. Grubb had both a shaved head and beard compared to when he was processed for his mugshot by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Aug. 2024.
The special prosecution team includes Erin Claypool, Richard Glennon and Daniel Brandt. Franklin County has put several of the cases for police on trial for murder in the hands of special prosecutors. Franklin County Common Pleas Court David Young is overseeing the trial.
By noon, the attorneys interviewed more than 20 potential jurors out of a jury pool of about 90 people.
The jurors were given a questionnaire prior to these interviews with questions about the jurors' prior knowledge of the case, their beliefs and more.
Both the defense team and the prosecution picked out responses they wanted to further inquire about.
Most of the follow-up questions focused on whether the jurors had close relationships with police officers; if they had biases because of race or gender; if they'd seen news coverage of the case; their thoughts on Black Lives Matter or Blue Lives Matter; whether they believed in the right to self defense; if they could put aside their opinions to follow the law or any potential job conflicts or travel plans.
About half of the early set of jurors said they'd seen news coverage of the case since Young was shot in 2023. Both teams of lawyers consistently cautioned the jurors they would have to base their decision on facts presented in the courtroom and not what they may have seen in the news.
The attorneys and prosecutors agreed to dismiss a couple of jurors because they had prior commitments and travels plans prior to the trial. One man was also dismissed after he expressed strongly held religious beliefs against killing another person.
The two teams of lawyers sparred at times after one juror left the room.
Once, it was after a Black juror was hesitant to take part in the trial because he just started a new job.
Collins and the defense team were in favor of dismissing him, but Claypoole and the prosecution disagreed. Claypoole said the jury pool didn't have a large number of non-white people.
The special prosecutors objected to a white juror who was a veteran. The man said he struggles with chronic pain from arthritis if he sat too long.
Collins questioned why they objected to the man.
Before the trial can begin, the defense and prosecution have to agree to a team of 12 jurors and a team of alternates.
The trial is expected to last three weeks. Jury selection will continue Tuesday and opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday.
