Local Black leaders expressed disappointment Wednesday with a Kentucky grand jury’s decision in the killing of 26-year-old Louisville emergency room technician Breonna Taylor. She was a Black woman shot five times by white police officers on a no-knock warrant at 1 a.m. March 13.
The grand jury indicted one of three officers. Former Louisville Metro Police detective Brett Hankison, who was fired, was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, according to news reports.
“It is not going to be well received at all,” said Pastor Mike Harris, the leader of the local, high profile African American Pastors Alliance that has become a leading voice in the area on social justice issues, education, law enforcement, media and other matters impacting minorities. “I don’t think that they can easily explain this away.
“Our problem in the African American community is real simple: Every single person’s life means something … That’s one of the reasons we held our rally (for hope and unity) last week. But it seems like nowadays every time we say that every person’s life means something, something else happens.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Pastor Johnnie Edwards, president of the Columbus/Bartholomew County Area NAACP Branch, said “this (decision) is not justice.”
Edwards added that he believes the wanton endangerment charges are not severe enough, and he also said he cannot understand why all three officers were not charged in some way.
Edwards said he was especially angered to hear officials yesterday remind the public and media that former detective Hankison is presumed innocent.
“So was Breonna Taylor presumed innocent when they burst in there into her apartment (with a battering ram)?,” Edwards asked. “I think the answer to that is why we have a nation that’s so angry, at least among people of color and those who stand with us. We’re angry because there always seem to be some sort of justification for one who is doing the hurting.
“And yet, with the people of color who have been hurt, there always seems to be a rush to judgment.”
Anthony Hayden, president of Black Lives Matter of Columbus, said he too is disappointed with the decision.
“With today’s decision, it shows yet again that justice is not served,” Hayden said. “Her death was a clear case of murder, in my opinion. And this just shows you that the (judicial) system always will protect itself.
“And when are all people going to decide to stand up and fight against police brutality,” he asked.
In Louisville, immediately after the announcement, people were expressing frustration that the grand jury did not do more.
“Justice has NOT been served,” tweeted Linda Sarsour of Until Freedom, a group that has pushed for charges in the case. “Rise UP. All across this country. Everywhere. Rise up for #BreonnaTaylor.”
Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Taylor’s family, tweeted that the charges involved “NOTHING for the murder of Breonna Taylor. This is outrageous and offensive!”
At a news conference, state Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Hankison and the two other officers who entered Taylor’s apartment announced themselves before entering the apartment and did not use a no-knock warrant.
“According to Kentucky law, the use of force by (Officers Jonathan Mattingly and (Myles) Cosgrove was justified to protect themselves. This justification bars us from pursuing criminal charges in Miss Breonna Taylor’s death.”
Regarding the inevitable disappointment by those who wanted criminal charges brought in Taylor’s death, he remarked, “The decision before my office as the special prosecutor in this case was not to decide if the loss of Ms. Taylor’s life was a tragedy. The answer to that is unequivocally yes.”
Cameron added that, “I understand that Breonna Taylor’s death is part of a national story, but the facts and evidence in this case are different than others” involving police shootings.
“If we simply act on emotion or outrage, there is no justice,” Cameron said. “Mob justice is not justice. Justice sought by violence is not justice. It just becomes revenge.”
He added that the FBI is still investigating potential violations of federal law in the case.
A Republican, Cameron is the state’s first Black state attorney general and a protege of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who has been tagged by some as his heir apparent. His was also one of 20 names on President Donald Trump’s list to fill a future Supreme Court vacancy.
Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation. The warrant used to search her home was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside. The use of no-knock warrants has since been banned by Louisville’s Metro Council.
