By PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A use-of-force review board cleared the Ohio police officer who shot and killed 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young, a pregnant Black mother who had been accused of shoplifting, according to a statement from the police department’s chief released this week.

The five-member review board, empaneled by Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford, found that Officer Connor Grubb did not violate department policy when he fatally shot Young on Aug. 24, 2023, during an encounter in a Kroger parking lot in a Columbus suburb.

“The deaths of Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn child were a profound tragedy for her family, our department, and the community,” Belford said in a written statement. “After receiving the complete investigation and evidence from BCI, the Use of Force Review Board conducted a thorough policy review and found no violation of department policy by Officer Grubb.”

Per the department’s policy, the board convened in December after a Franklin County jury acquitted Grubb on all counts, including murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Young.

Four of the board’s members work at law enforcement agencies in Franklin County, and one is a township trustee from Brown Township, according to Ryan Stubenrauch, a spokesman for the Blendon Township police.

Sean Walton, an attorney representing Young’s family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Bodycam recordings showed Grubb and Sgt. Erick Moynihan had approached Young’s car outside a Kroger about a report that she was suspected of stealing alcohol from the store. She partially lowered her window and protested as both officers cursed at her and yelled at her to get out. On bodycam video, Young could be heard asking them, “Are you going to shoot me?”

Then, she put on a turn signal and her car rolled slowly forward toward Grubb, who fired a single bullet through her windshield into her chest, the bodycam recording showed.

In the statement, Grubb said he positioned himself in front of Young’s vehicle to provide proper backup. He said he drew his gun after he heard Young fail to comply with Moynihan’s commands. When her car moved toward him, he said, he felt the vehicle hit his legs and shins and begin to lift his body off the ground as he shot.

Moments later, after the car came to a stop against the building, the officers are seen breaking the driver’s side window. Police said they tried to save her life, but she was mortally wounded. Young and her unborn daughter were subsequently pronounced dead at a hospital.

A full-time officer with the township since 2019, Grubb was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting.

Arlene Lillis, a 56-year-old Detroit Lakes, Minn., woman, died after a suspected shark attack at Dorsch Beach St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday. The attack took place at around 4:28 p.m., according to a post made by the Virgin Island Police Department on their Facebook page.

A news report from the local paper, The Virgin Island Consortium, stated Lillis was pulled out of the water by Christopher Carroll, a nurse that was previously a lifeguard and happened to be staying at a nearby hotel. The article stated that Carroll heard screaming, ran to the beach and into the water to find Lillis near a large pool of blood. The article noted Carroll grabbed Lillis and brought her back to shore, at which point the extent of the injuries became apparent.

First responders were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, “Fire confirmed the female lost an arm during the attack,” the police department post stated in their Facebook post on the incident. “The female later succumbed to her injures. She was identified by next of kin as 56-year-old Arlene Lillis of Minnesota.”

The news article noted the next of kin was her husband, Richard Lillis.

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Boasting an impressive 13 goals and 14 assists in 21 games, St. Thomas winger Alex Gaffney is among the leading scorers in men’s college hockey.

The Tommies men’s hockey team plucked the 23-year-old West Orange, N.J. native out of the transfer portal — and seemingly out of the blue.

The 5-foot-9, 177-pound Gaffney, who spent four years at Harvard, would beg to differ with that last assessment, and he has a compelling background to help support his argument.

Start with Gaffney being identified as one of the best young players in the country when, at 16 years old, he was invited to take part in the U.S. National Development Team’s 40-man camp in Michigan. There he found himself among players who now have become familiar names.

Brock Faber, the former Gophers defenseman currently starring for the Wild, was his roommate. Matty Beniers (Michigan, Seattle Kraken) and Landon Slaggert (Notre Dame, Chicago Blackhawks) were among the forwards.

When the intensely competitive camp ended, Gaffney stood as the leader in goals and points. But it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t selected to the team.

“They said I was too short,” Gaffney said.

“I’ve heard that my whole life,” he added. “So, in one ear and out the other. I can go up against anyone.”

Yet, all these years later, the disappointment, the sting from being passed over, remains.

“I carry that chip on my shoulder,” Gaffney said. “Every setback I’ve had, there’s a chip on my shoulder. And I’ve had plenty of setbacks — because of things I can’t control. So, I always carry those.”

Rather than returning home after not making the national team roster, Gaffney stayed in Michigan to play junior hockey for the USHL team in Muskegon. He played two seasons in Muskegon before splitting a final USHL season between Omaha and Waterloo.

Gaffney totaled 22 goals through his first three seasons at Harvard. His senior season ended just four games in after he suffered a concussion. The injury became a long-term issue as lingering headaches led to setback after setback as he pushed to get back onto the ice.

Gaffney was cleared to return at the end of March, but Harvard’s season had already come to an end.

“It definitely was tough,” Gaffney said, “but I was at peace with everything because every day I gave it everything I had.”

Gaffney — whose love for the game quickly evolved from the days his mother would wake him at 5:30 a.m. to attend private lessons before school — wasn’t ready to give up on his dream of one day playing in the NHL.

Ivy League schools do not allow athletes to compete as graduate students. So, having earned his undergraduate degree, Gaffney entered his name into the transfer portal.

“If no other colleges wanted me, I was going to ride it out in the ECHL,” Gaffney said. “That would have been a grind, but again, I would have given it everything I had. Coming here, it gave me the opportunity that, if I did my job, I would be in a much better position to become a pro.”

Gaffney knew his numbers at Harvard didn’t jump off the page, but he was confident he could be a productive player if another program would give him an opportunity.

“St. Thomas was the first real offer I had,” Gaffney said, “and it was the best one I had.”

While his faith and the belief in his abilities never wavered during the dark times of the past year, Gaffney can’t help but smile when considering his current lot.

“When I was going through the concussion symptoms — or even two weeks into the portal, when I had no offers — if you asked me if I would be in this position right now, I’d tell you no way,” Gaffney said.

St. Thomas head coach Rico Blasi was familiar enough with Gaffney’s game to know he could help the Tommies.

“He was an offensive-minded guy who could skate,” Blasi said. “We knew he had a good motor. His second effort is really good. He never gives up on pucks. That’s the way he needs to play to be effective.”

Upon his arrival, Gaffney quickly established good chemistry with Tommies captain Lucas Wahlin, and together they have helped lead the offensive attack.

While the Tommies knew they were adding a player who had offensive abilities, Gaffney’s production clearly has exceeded expectations.

“It’s a credit to him,” Blasi said. “He’s worked really hard, especially last year when he was hurt; getting himself healthy and making sure he was ready to play at a high level.

“Sometimes it takes guys a little bit of time to understand what you can and can’t do at this level. Maybe sometimes watching isn’t a bad thing.”

Gaffney is a believer, because he lived it.

“I learned a lot from being away from the game for so long,” he said. “I learned to appreciate every moment at the rink. I learned to appreciate being on a team, being a teammate.

“All the small things, the bus rides, because they can go away so quickly. I see hockey in a different way. I see this team in a different way. I see opportunities in a different way. I didn’t compete for so long, so I’ll never lose that.”

Had he been given the chance to play a full senior season at Harvard, Gaffney believes he would have resembled the player he has become with the Tommies. It stems from his decision to change the way he plays the game, which began to take shape late in his junior season.

“I learned to think the game a different way,” he said. “I worked on my skating. I’m more comfortable handling the puck, which allows me to be more comfortable with my head up. I’m able to see plays.”

And now he’s reaping the benefits off all the hard work. Happy to be a Tommie. Happy to be doing what he loves to do. Happy to be making a difference.

“I’m grateful that the coaching staff believed in me and has given me the opportunities,” Gaffney said. “In the end, that’s all that I needed.”

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A Dave’s Hot Chicken franchise will open later this year in the former Taco John’s in Oak Park Heights, officials said Thursday.

Officials with the popular chain, known for its Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches and tenders, said the restaurant will have a drive-thru.

Minnesota Chicken LLC, doing business as Dave’s Hot Chicken, has submitted an application for a conditional-use permit and design guidelines/site plan review with the city of Oak Park Heights.

In the application, Alex Humphries, the owner of Minnesota Chicken LLC, wrote that he was requesting a variance to allow mural artwork throughout the exterior of the building at 5910 Neal Ave. N.

“While the city’s design guidelines do not  specifically reference murals, this design element is a central part of the Dave’s Hot Chicken brand and an important factor in creating the guest experience that our guests expect,” Humphries wrote. “Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants nationwide feature mural artwork that reflects the brand’s energy, authenticity, and urban roots. These murals are not optional embellishments — they are an essential component of our franchise design standards.”

City staff is recommending that wall signage should be limited to one per façade for a total of four wall signs, city officials wrote in a planning report.

“The applicant may determine which sign to use on each façade, and two signs may be placed on one of the facades,” city officials wrote. “At the time of sign permitting the applicant shall provide the square footage of each of the facades to assure compliance with the 10 percent limit of signage.”

The Oak Park Heights planning commission was expected to hear the matter on Thursday night.

Humphries and his cousin, former NBA star Kris Humphries, and his aunt and uncle, William and Debra Humphries, brought the Los Angeles-based chain to Minnesota in 2023. Other Twin Cities locations are on in St. Paul (Ford Parkway), Apple Valley (near Cedar Avenue and County Road 42), Minneapolis (North Loop) and Minnetonka (Plymouth Road).

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