A police officer in Ohio has shot dead a black teenage girl while responding to an attempted stabbing call.

The shooting happened in the state capital Columbus on Tuesday,  Columbus police later produced bodycam footage of the incident, showing several people attacking a person before the girl was shot several times.

An inquiry is under way, with officials urging local residents to remain calm. Colombus Mayor Andrew Ginther tweeted that, ‘This afternoon a young woman tragically lost her life. We do not know all of the details’.

We will share information that we can as soon as it becomes available, later he added.

The widely watched footage sparked worldwide protests against racism and excessive use of force by police.