Breonna Taylor’s case continues to raise concern

Photo+courtesy+of+Getty+Images.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

It seemed like a normal midnight for Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. They were in bed sleeping when they suddenly heard a loud banging at the door.

Walker said he and Taylor both asked who was at the door, and later, he revealed he feared it was Taylor’s ex-boyfriend trying to break in the apartment. Once the police broke the hinges off the door, Walker fired his gun and shot Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly’s thigh. Thats’ when the officers began to shoot several shots. Taylor was shot several times. According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Walker told investigators that Taylor coughed and struggled to breathe for the last five minutes after being shot.

The details of exactly what happened on March 13 depends on who you listen to. There were no body cameras to record the events now under investigation by police.

An hour before the police raided Taylor’s apartment, an ambulance was later told to leave. Taylor was not given any medical attention. According to The New York Times, not after five minutes of the shooting that emergency personal realized she was seriously wounded after her boyfriend.

Jefferson County told the Courier-Journal that Taylor most likely died less than a minute after she was shot and could not have been saved.

At first, the police department received court approval for a “no-knock” entry, but the orders later changed; they had to state themselves before entering the apartment, but Walker said he did not hear any announcement from the police.

The police raided Breonna Taylor’s apartment because her ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who alleged that a package led them to her door the night of her death.

Glover was arrested on Aug. 27 in possession of drugs, according to a charging police document. According to The Courier-Journal, Glover said  that Taylor had no involvement in the drug trade. “The police are trying to make it out to be my fault and turning the whole community out here, making it look like I brought this to Breonna’s door,” Glover said.

Who was Breonna Taylor?
Breonna Taylor was a black medical worker who was shot and killed by Louisville police officers in March, who raided her apartment. According to The New York Times, this led to a wide-scale demonstration in spring and summer as the case drew more attention.

According to Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, her daughter had big dreams and planned a lifelong career in health care after serving as an E.M.T.

“She was a better version of me full of life. Easy to love,” said Palmer, who is a dialysis technician.

Sam Aguiar, a lawyer representing Taylor’s family, said, “Breonna was a woman who was figuring everything out in her life, who had turned a corner. Breonna was starting to live her best life.”

What did people say about this crime?

Many people went on social media on June 5, Breonna’s 27th birthday, and used the hashtag #SayHerName to remember her and raise awareness of her case.

Many politicians, activists, athletes and celebrities used the hashtag #SayHerName on June 5. Sen. Cory Booker NJ-D, tweeted, “Police tragically took her life, and we will not atop marching for justice until it’s served for her and her family.

#SayHerName.” Sen. Kamala Harris Calif.-D also tweeted, “Keep the calls up for justice. #SayHerName.”

Activist and creator of hashtag #SayHerName, Kimberlé Crenshaw, said, “If Black lives really do matter, all Black lives have to matter. This means Black lives across gender have to be lifted. ‘Say Her Name’ attempts to make the death of black women an active part of this conversation by saying their names.”

The NBA, according to The New York Times, used their platform to dedicate the season to Taylor. Players have been wearing jerseys bearing her name.

Kristine Anigwe, a Los Angeles Sparks player, said, “Having Breonna Taylor on the back of my jersey means so much more. I can’t take anything for granted. I have to go there and play like it’s my last game because she didn’t know that she would live the last day. She thought she was safe in her own home.”

What’s happening with the case? 

According to Yahoo News, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whose office took over Taylor’s case, announced months after Taylor’s death that none of the three officers who shot into the apartment would be charged for her death.

One officer, a former detective Brett Hankison, was charged with three counts of “wanton endangerment for firing into a nearby apartment. Taylor’s attorneys then sought a new prosecutor after jurors speak out.

According to Yahoo News, Taylor’s family’s legal team hopes to “have an application filed for an appointment of a new prosecutor within the next few days.” Baker’s co-counsel Sam Aguilar said on Facebook.

The 12- person grand jury “was not presented any charges than the three wanton endangerments charged against Hankison.” The jurors wrote a statement from Glogower’s office, which was shared by Vice News. Lonita Bakers said, “What I was surprised was the depth of the lies that Daniel Cameron told America when he said that the grand jury was getting instructed on all of the different levels of homicide.”