On March 13, 2020, 26-year-old, Breonna Taylor was shot five times and was killed in her home while in bed.
The police entered her home in Louisville, Kentucky, from a no-knock search warrant. The officers allegedly did not knock on her door and they forcefully entered her home.
Taylor’s boyfriend pulled out his gun and shot at police thinking that it was an intruder.
On September 23, 2020, six months later Taylor’s case went on trial. One out of the three officers were charged.
Detective Brett Hankerson was charged with Wanton endangerment, a class D felony that can carry up to five years in prison. Hankerson has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Not only was this police officer given the wrong charge, he was also given a $15,000 bail. He was not charged for killing Taylor, but for the bullets that missed and hit her neighbors’ walls.
The night of the charges from the grand jury against the officers, Black Lives Matter activists began to protest all over America.
Nearly 130 protesters were arrested and two police officers were shot but were not seriously injured. The protester that shot at the police was arrested and charged with a $1 million bail.
If the officers were charged with the right crime of homicide, and also Wanton endangerment for killing Taylor, then maybe this could have all been avoided. The court system would rather have people protesting than serve justice to its people.
The fact that the grand jury wasn’t presented with homicide charges for the officers involved is a slap in the face to Taylor’s family, and minorities across America.
Six months of fighting for justice for Breonna Taylor and she still has not received it. Police can easily lie and get away with murder and this is why people are upset with the justice system, this is why people protest. America is not equal, systemic racism needs to come to an end.
Taylor worked in the medical field, she was an EMT and she enjoyed helping others. She was full of life, loved social gatherings with her friends and family, she loved life and all it had to offer. Taylor would look for ways to continue to better herself and the people around her.
Taylor graduated from Western High School in 2011, then she went to college at University of Kentucky. She was the first to graduate high school in her family. She felt accomplished to finally break the cycle of her family’s educational history. Taylor’s mother told her that she was going to change history, and the world.
It’s just unfortunate that it took her death to spark the change. People can start making the change by using their voices and influence to speak up about the inequality and racism that Black people experience.
Police need to be held accountable for their actions, the use of body cams need to be used for every interaction with citizens. Police should also have more thorough background checks with the history of violence and how they handle deexcalating situations. These kind of procedures and background checks can avoid situations like these.
