Democrat Congresswoman Val Demings defends officer who shot Ma’Khia Bryant

Former Orlando police chief and Democrat congresswoman Val Demings has defended the officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant last week in Ohio – saying it appears Nicholas Reardon “responded as he was trained to do”. In the footage, the teenager appeared to be holding a knife as she pinned another woman against a car before multiple gunshots were fired. “The limited information that I know in viewing the video, it appears that the officer responded as he was trained to do with the main thought of preventing a tragedy,” Ms Demings said in the CBS interview. She said while everyone now had the “benefit” of slowing video to find the “perfect moment”, officers on the streets can’t do that. “I also was a patrol officer who was out there on the street having to make those split-second decisions,” Ms Demings said. “He or she has to make those split-second decisions, and they’re tough.” Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au