Columbus official on Ma'Khia Bryant shooting: ‘I understand the outrage’ but ‘the video shows there is more to this’

As protests erupt in the wake of yet another police shooting, this time the killing of a 16-year-old girl by an Ohio police officer, Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. said at a press conference that people should take into consideration that the incident is more complex than it seems.

"I understand the outrage and emotion around this incident," Pettus Jr. said, seemingly growing emotional. "A teenage girl is dead, and she's dead at the hands of a police officer. Under any circumstances, that is a horrendous tragedy. But the video shows that there is more to this."

Pettus Jr. is referring to body cam video released by the Columbus Police Department, showing the officer arriving on the scene as a fight broke out between the teen, now identified as Ma'Khia Bryant, and another girl. In the video, Bryant appears to be gripping a knife as she attacks the girl. The officer on the scene then opens fire, killing Bryant.

"It requires us to pause, take a close look at the sequence of events, and though it's not easy, wait for the fact as determined by an independent investigation," Pettus Jr. continued. "We have to ask ourselves: what information did the officer have? What did he see? How much time did he have to assess the situation, and what would have happened if he had taken no action at all?"

Watch the video below: