Dear MoveOn member,
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was in her home in Louisville, KY, on March 13 when three officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department barged in without a warning or announcement and broke through her door, fired off more than 20 bullets, and ultimately took Breonna's life.1
Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, thought someone was burglarizing their home and fired his gun to defend himself. But in turn, the officers responded with a hail of bullets and turned an average morning into a tragedy of police brutality. The police were at the wrong house. There was no search warrant that gave them the right to be there in the first place.
The FBI has announced an investigation into the killing of Breonna Taylor.2
This is great news. But since these three officers remain on the Louisville Metro police force, justice has not been served.
Despite the clear and egregious misconduct of the police officers, the officers who killed Breonna Taylor are still walking free without any consequences. Instead of being transparent about their fatal misconduct, the police and commonwealth attorney conspired to make it look like this was a routine drug raid. LMPD even continued to falsely refer to Breonna as a "suspect" in the media for weeks, though she had done nothing wrong. Nothing.
A recent lawsuit filed against the officers reveals that police were actually searching for another person more than 10 miles away, who had already been arrested that morning.3 This is an affront to Black people, our communities, and Breonna's family. And even after the police had killed her, the Louisville county prosectors decided to file charges against Breonna's boyfriend for attempted murder. This was a clear attempt to cover up, distract, and deflect from the fact that the police had shot an innocent, unarmed, young Black woman in cold blood.
All too often, Black women face police harassment and violence at the hands of bloodthirsty, racist cops who see no value in Black lives. Breonna, her boyfriend, and their families deserve more. She was an EMT who lived her life on the front lines as an essential worker, and when we need people like her the most during this pandemic, cops ended her young life. Let's honor Breonna and hold the officers responsible for this tragedy accountable.
The Louisville police chief has just announced that he's retiring in June.4 This won't heal the harm committed by the Louisville Metro Police Department. We're calling for the three police officers—Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove—to be fired and for all charges against Kenneth Walker to be dropped immediately. These officers are threats to our communities, and as long as they're allowed to wear badges, Black people are not safe.
Stand in solidarity with the protesters taking to the streets in Louisville, KY, and demand justice for Breonna Taylor.
Thanks!
–Rashad Robinson, Color of Change
Sources:
1. "Months After Louisville Police Kill Woman in Her Home, Governor Calls for Review," The New York Times, May 14, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/129755?t=9&akid=265464%2E10220574%2EKE8Wmw
2. "FBI opens investigation into fatal police shooting of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor," CBS News, May 22, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/134457?t=11&akid=265464%2E10220574%2EKE8Wmw
3. "Months After Louisville Police Kill Woman in Her Home, Governor Calls for Review," The New York Times, May 14, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/129755?t=14&akid=265464%2E10220574%2EKE8Wmw
4. "Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad to retire in June in wake of controversial Breonna Taylor shooting," WDRB, May 21, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/130848?t=16&akid=265464%2E10220574%2EKE8Wmw
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