The Breonna Taylor case took a disheartening turn for so many this week. Taylor's killing at the hands of Louisville police officers has sparked protests for months. On March 13, 2020, Louisville, Kentucky police broke down Breonna Taylor's front door and killed the 26-year-old EMT in her home. The police were executing a no=knock warrant during drug raid, and Breonna’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he heard noise at the door, but did not hear anyone announce themselves as police. As officers entered, Walker fired one shot and hit one of the officers. The officers then returned fire, killing Taylor.
It was announced on September 23, that one of three Louisville police officers has been charged in connection with the Taylor's killing, whose shooting death sparked national outrage and months of protests. According to reports, the grand jury charged former Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Brett Hankison with first-degree wanton endangerment, for shooting into neighboring apartments.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron will determine whether to prosecute Hankison; who is the only one of the three officers who was dismissed from the forceThe other officers have not been charged.
The decision means that no one has been criminally charged with killing Taylor.
According to CNN:
"The charges rendered by the grand jury stemmed from shots fired into the apartment of Taylor's next-door neighbors; not the hail of bullets that entered Taylor's apartment, leaving her dead. Taylor's ex-boyfriend was the focus of a narcotics investigation that led officers to execute the warrant on her apartment, where no drugs were found."
The news led to outrage, outcry and protests in Louisville. Snoop Dogg, Common, Ice-T and others voiced their frustration, anger and sadness on social media.
Did anybody REALLY expect anyone to go to Jail for Breonna Taylor’s MURDER? Black people didn’t.. We’re used to this BS. Smh pic.twitter.com/xtjhsmC83Z
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) September 24, 2020
Justice. For. Breonna. Taylor. pic.twitter.com/Zs4vl29LFN
— COMMON (@common) September 23, 2020