Recently, the unjust murder of Ahmaud Arbery has sparked outrage and discussion about race and hate crimes in the United States. Not long after details of Ahmaud Arbery's death came to light, the death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who worked as an EMT, has also drawn national attention. Taylor was unarmed and asleep in her own home in Louisville, Kentucky when she was shot and killed by police.
According to a lawsuit filed by Taylor's family, three police officers entered Taylor's apartment in plain clothes without announcing themselves. The officers were searching for a drug-trafficking suspect who had already been taken into custody. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, allegedly mistook the officers for burglars, called 911, and shot one of the officers. The officers opened fire on the apartment, shooting and killing Taylor in her bedroom. Taylor was reportedly shot at least eight times in the incident, and Walker was charged with first degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer.
The nature of Taylor's death has been criticized as senseless, with the officer's actions being described as having a "total disregard for the value of human life." Taylor's family's attorney Ben Crump, who is also representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, stated that Taylor was "sleeping while black" when she was unjustly killed and that "black women's lives matter too." Taylor's death certainly seems unwarranted, as she herself posed no threat to police at the time and had no criminal history or history of drug abuse. Her family has accused police of entering the wrong home in their search: police had actually been investigating a location over 10 miles away from Taylor's home. Taylor's address was listed on the search warrant under suspicions that the suspect may have been using her address to receive mail or store drugs and money, but no drugs were found in the apartment. Her family also stated in the lawsuit that Walker was a licensed gun owner and only acted in self-defense, as the officers did not announce themselves as police.
The lawsuit filed by Taylor's accuses the three police officers of battery, wrongful death, excessive force, and negligence and gross negligence. Crump has also demanded that the charges against Walker be dropped. The police officers involved have yet to be charged, and the Louisville Metro Police Department has denied that the officers entered Taylor's home without announcing themselves.
Breonna Taylor's death adds to a string of unjust shootings of African Americans, as well as numerous incidents of police violence against African Americans. Taylor's death is by no means the first of its kind: news of her death has begun circulating not long after the circumstances of Ahmaud Arbery's death also drew widespread attention and outrage. The frequency at which African Americans and minority communities fall victim to violence and hate crime is unacceptable. These incidents need to be brought to light, and those involved in Taylor's death must be held accountable.
