COLUMBUS, Ohio — Authorities are continuing to investigate the death of Ma'Khia Bryant, a Black 16-year-old girl who was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer Tuesday.

The officer, Nicholas Reardon, has been taken off duty pending the investigation. He was hired in December 2019, according to the Columbus Division of Police. 

Police received a phone call at 4:32 p.m. Tuesday about a female trying to stab another person on the 3100 block of Legion Lane. The department released three separate clips of body camera footage Tuesday and Wednesday that shows Bryant holding a knife while fighting with another girl. When police arrived on scene, the video shows Bryant pinning the girl up against a car. Police yelled for Bryant to "get down," but then Bryant lunged and attempted to stab the other girl when Reardon fired his weapon. 

Officers then attempted life-saving measures "almost immediately," according to CDP Interim Chief Michael Woods. At 4:45 p.m., reports came into the department about the officer shooting a young girl. Medics arrived on scene within six minutes, according to authorities. 

Bryant was taken to a nearby hospital, and she was pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m.

In a press conference Wednesday, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the officer will be held accountable if investigators find that his use of force was unjustified. 

"We don't yet have all of the facts but we do know that a 16-year-old girl, a child of this community, tragically died last night," Ginther said.

Ginther said they must be careful not to compromise the investigation by Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“We believe transparency with the public is the utmost priority during this difficult time,” Ginther said.

Protests erupted Tuesday night and continued Wednesday evening with hundreds of people marching from the Ohio Statehouse to the Columbus Division of Police headquarters yelling, "Black lives matter," "Hands up, don't shoot" and chanting Bryant's name. Earlier Wednesday, a vigil was held in honor of Bryant. 

Hundreds of students at Ohio State held a protest Wednesday, occupying the student union, also chanting "Black lives matter."

More protests are planned for the weekend at the Ohio Statehouse and in other cities like Philadelphia.

Gov. Mike DeWine called the incident a "horrible tragedy."

"You cannot get over the fact that you have a teenager who's dead and that's a horrible, horrible tragedy," DeWine said. "We should have enough compassion to worry about every child who is shot in our cities. And we should not accept it."

Woods said once Bureau of Criminal Investigation is finished investigating, it'll head to the Franklin County grand jury and then the police department will do an internal review.

"It's a tragedy," Woods said. "There's no other way to say it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.