One year ago today, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed while sleeping in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove forced entry into the apartment when they suspected that her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was running a drug-dealing operation. The officers fired 32 shots, six of them hitting Breonna, which tragically resulted in her death. The murder sparked outrage across America and set off a wave of widespread protesting.
Michael Reynolds – Pool/Getty Images
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is still fighting for justice alongside Taylor’s friends and family one year after the crime took place. On Saturday morning, Crump Tweeted, “1 year ago, Breonna Taylor was tragically killed in her own home, igniting a movement for racial justice and necessary change, which has prompted many cities and states to BAN no-knock warrants. 365 days have passed but the fight for justice for Breonna Taylor continues!!”
Crump called Breonna Taylor’s murder a case of “sleeping while Black,” asserting that police’s no-knock warrants are unjust and need to be banned. All of the charges against Kenneth Walker, who shot at one of the plainclothes officers, have been dropped, and he filed a lawsuit against the city of Louisville on Friday. The FBI also noted on Saturday that they were still committed to investigating the circumstances of Taylor’s murder.
Hopefully, Breonna can receive her long overdue justice soon.