Breonna Taylor: grand jury refuses to charge police officers over death
24 September 2020, 11:33 | Updated: 24 September 2020, 11:42
Tensions grow after a grand jury decides not to charge Kentucky police officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor.
A grand jury has sparked outrage after refusing to charge Louisville police officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor, earlier this year.
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Prosecutors in Kentucky said the police officers who fired their weapons at Taylor were justified in using that level of force, in order to protect themselves.
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The charges the grand jury made against the three officers involved were three counts of wanton endangerment against the fired officer Brett Hankison.
Hankison got ruled this charge for shooting into the home of Taylor’s neighbours during the drug raid gone wrong, on March 13.
Hankison was not charged for shooting Taylor.
The Taylor families lawyer Ben Crump said that the grand jury’s ruling was “outrageous and offensive”.
Taylor, 26, who was a Black woman, working as an emergency medical technician, was fatally shot at the hands of Hankison.
Breonna was shot five times, according to her death certificate.
There have been constant protests, mainly in the US, but have spread worldwide, in hopes of seeking justice over Breonna's death.
Speaking to the Louisville Courier Journal, Taylor's cousin Tawanna Gordon said "I'm not surprised," adding "But I'm mad as hell because nothing's changing. … Today's decision was an additional injustice on our family and this country."
Gordon continued "Until Americans start getting mad enough and speaking out and forcing legislators to change the laws for all races, nothing is going to change. And it needs to happen now. Not tomorrow, but today".
On Wednesday (Sept 23) crowds in Louisville reacted to the grand jury ruling, which was announced by the Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron.
The ruling sparked outrage, which led to two officers being shot in Kentucky. The officers have sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
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