Death of Breonna Taylor

Death of Breonna Taylor

Date	March 13, 2020 (2020-03-13)
Location	Louisville, Kentucky
Type	Shooting
Outcome	Death of Breonna Taylor

On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African American emergency medical technician, was shot eight times to death by Louisville Metro Police Department officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove who entered her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, while serving a "no-knock warrant". The investigation was supposedly centered around a "trap house" over 10 miles (16 km) away from Taylor's residence and two people police believed were distributing controlled substances.

Background

Breonna Taylor
Born	(1993-06-05)June 5, 1993 Grand Rapids, Michigan, US
Died	Louisville, Kentucky, US
Cause of death	Multiple gunshots by police
Resting place	Spring Valley Funeral
Education	University of Kentucky
Occupation	Emergency medical technician

Taylor was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on June 5, 1993, to Tamika Palmer and Troy Herrod. She graduated from Western High School and went on to study at the University of Kentucky. Taylor worked at two hospitals, University of Louisville Jewish Hospital and Norton Healthcare. According to her personnel records, she worked for the city of Louisville from January to November 2016 and she was promoted to be an emergency medical technician on June of 2016, which her parents said she was proud of that career path. At the time of her death, she was working for University of Louisville Health.

Shooting

According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor's family, Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were sleeping in their bedroom before the incident happened, and that the police officers were in unmarked vehicles. They thought their home had been broken into by criminals and that "they were in significant, imminent danger." The lawsuit alleges that "the officers then entered Breonna's home without knocking and without announcing themselves as police officers. The Defendants then proceeded to spray gunfire into the residence with a total disregard for the value of human life."

Walker allegedly discharged his firearm first, injuring a law enforcement officer. Walker's lawyer stated that Walker thought that someone was entering the residence illegally, and that Walker acted only in self-defense. Walker faced criminal charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer.

Attorney Benjamin Crump stated that "they already had the person they were searching for in custody" before Taylor was approached.

Legal proceedings

Walker was released from jail due to coronavirus concerns, which drew criticism from Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Steve Conrad. In late May 2020, Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine moved to dismiss all charges against Walker. The case could be presented to a grand jury again after reviewing the results of investigations by the FBI and Kentucky Attorney General’s Office. Wine dropped the charges because the officers never mentioned her name to the grand jury or the fact that they shot her. Walker's close friends said that his job was to protect Taylor at any cost. On May 22, 2020, Judge Olu Stevens released Walker from home incarceration. Rob Eggert, an attorney representing him, released a statement saying, "he just wanted to resume his life". At the same time, his attorney said that he could be charged again later as more facts come out of the shooting.

Aftermath

After intense local and national criticism for the department's handling of the case, Police Chief Steve Conrad announced his resignation to be effective on June 30, 2020.

On May 14, 2020, photos were revealed to the public in The Courier-Journal by Sam Aguiar, an attorney representing her family. The photos show bullet damage in their apartment and the apartment next door.

On May 26, 2020, multiple protesters, including friends and family of Taylor, surrounded the office of Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, demanding the three officers be arrested and charged with murder. Another protest is planned for May 30.

Reaction

For weeks after Taylor's death, there was very little public reaction or response from government officials. Spokespeople for the Louisville Metro Police Department have not provided many details about the shooting or answered questions about the case. Taylor's death gained national attention when activist Shaun King posted about her shooting death on social media. On May 13, 2020, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear responded to reports about Taylor’s death and said the public deserved to know everything about the March raid. Beshear requested that the Kentucky Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, and local and federal prosecutor to review the findings of the Louisville police’s initial investigation "to ensure justice is done at a time when many are concerned that justice is not blind." On May 14, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Steve Conrad announced they have asked the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney to review the local findings of the Public Integrity Unit's investigation when it is completed.

On May 27, 2020, the LMPD received multiple death threats like "All cops need to die" and "kill pigs". On May 20, officers were responding to a 911 call near Taylor's apartment and multiple people threw pieces of concrete at them and then ran away. No law enforcement officers were injured. On May 28, around 500 to 600 demonstrators marched in Downtown Louisville, where people chanted "No justice, no peace, prosecute police!" and "Breonna, Breonna, Breonna!" The protests continued into the early morning of May 29, when seven people were shot, one of the victims were in critical condition.

See also

• Black Lives Matter
• Lists of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States