Just hours after a Kentucky jury dropped charges of Taylor's death against Louisville police, protesters took to the streets. Authorities say two officers were injured during demonstrations on Wednesday night.
Louisville interim police chief Robert Schroeder said the suspect was in custody, but did not provide details on whether the man had participated in the demonstrations. He added that the life of the officers is out of danger. The police were allegedly injured while investigating reports of a shootout at an intersection where a large crowd had gathered.
Louisville police used tear gas, according to the Associated Press. People covered their ears, ran away and frantically searched for where to hide. Armed police filled the streets, special forces officers and military vehicles blocked the road.
The protests began after it was decided to acquit two officers who fired their weapons at Taylor. The court ruled that they used force in self-defense after facing armed resistance from Breonna's boyfriend.
The only charges under the court's order were charges of unsubstantiated dangerous behavior of the dismissed officer Brett Hankison. The former policeman fired blindly at a neighboring house, in which there were people.
The FBI is still investigating federal violations in connection with the March 13 raid on Taylor's home.
Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Louisville tonight to protest the lack of charges in Breonna Taylor's killing https://t.co/foZQRuiYIu pic.twitter.com/c8tGAB4ll2
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) September 24, 2020
Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Taylor family, called the decision «outrageous and offensive.» The protesters took to the streets shouting: «No justice, no peace!»
Clashes broke out between police and protesters, and some of the protesters were arrested. Protesters marched in other US cities: New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, Atlanta and Philadelphia.
What happened to Breona Taylor
Breonna Taylor, an ambulance worker, was shot several times by officers who entered her home during a drug investigation. State Attorney General Daniel Cameron said that although the officers had permission to enter the home “without knocking,” an investigation found law enforcement officers knocked and identified themselves in front of the entrance. The search warrant at her home was linked to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside.
Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, opened fire when the police burst into the room, hitting Officer Mattingly in the leg. Walker told police that he heard a knock, but did not understand who was entering the house, and fired in self-defense.
Taylor was still alive for at least 20 minutes after police entered her home on March 13 and shot her. The officers used the battering ram to break down Taylor's door, despite the fact that she was not the prime suspect, and shot her at least five times.
Breonna Taylor should never have been killed, let alone in her own home. She should be alive today.
Today's action brings no accountability and falls short of the justice that Breonna and countless other Black Americans deserve. pic.twitter.com/lSovXY7Hfo
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 24, 2020
The girl received no medical attention after the shooting, although she showed signs of life, including coughing and shortness of breath, according to testimony from Walker and police. The Jefferson County Coroner challenged this story in a New York Times commentary, stating that Taylor «had virtually no chance of surviving, and she probably died in less than a minute.»
Detective Hankison was fired on June 23rd. A letter of dismissal sent by interim Louisville police chief Robert Schroeder says he violated the bylaws by showing «extreme indifference to the value of human life» when he «senselessly and blindly» fired his weapon.
Mattingly, Cosgrove and the detective who wrote the warrant, Joshua Janes, were transferred to administrative positions.
The Attorney General's Sentence
Cameron, who is the state's first black attorney general, said the officers acted in self-defense after Taylor's boyfriend shot them. He added that Hankison and two other officers who entered Taylor's apartment had previously introduced themselves, according to the investigation.
“Under Kentucky law, the use of force by [Officers Jonathan] Mattingly and [Miles] Cosgrove was justified in self-defense. He said. «This prohibits us from opening a criminal investigation into the death of Miss Breonna Taylor.»
Cameron also said that the FBI crime lab had determined that Officer Cosgrove had fired the bullet that killed Taylor.
People react to the news in the Breonna Taylor shooting in Louisville, Kentucky.
The grand jury indicted one officer, Brett Hankison, on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree in the shooting case of #BreonnaTaylor. https://t.co/OXzhoqZ2Oe pic.twitter.com/pNNtwsOSea
— ABC News (@ABC) September 23, 2020
Cameron, a Republican, is a protégé of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and is considered his heir. He was also one of 20 candidates on President Donald Trump's list of candidates for a vacancy in the Supreme Court.
National resonance and protest movement
The Taylor case led to nationwide protests that drew public attention to systematic racism and called for police reforms. Several prominent African American celebrities have joined in demanding charges against the officers.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his partner Kamala Harris are also calling for police reform.
Biden says that as long as the federal investigation continues, «there is no need to wait for a final decision on this case to get Breonna to justice.» He said the country should start by addressing the use of excessive force, banning strangleholds and no-knock warrants.
«We must never forget Breonna's name as we work to reform our justice system,» Harris said on Twitter.
Martin Luther King III tweeted: «This is a sad day for America and justice.»
