Hello my readers, hoping you are keeping hope amid these unpredictable times.

Today is my birthday. It is also Breonna Taylor’s birthday. Instead of talking about me I would like to talk about her story. Breonna would have turned 27 today. She was an essential worker, an EMT. She was a University of Kentucky graduate and steadily pursuing her career in the medical field. She was serving her community and her country by working during a pandemic. That in itself is admirable, the bravery it takes to work during the spread of a deadly virus should not be overlooked. In an NPR interview released yesterday family and friends talked about her and her life. How she said she would make a name for herself. I want that to sink in. She was very young and had her whole life ahead of her.

Her life was taken, family described the loss as feeling they were robbed. The incident occurred past midnight on March 13th, 2020. We know now that three cops in plain clothes entered her home on a no-knock warrant. Kenneth Walker, Breonna’s boyfriend said that after hearing loud bangs on the door, Breonna repeatedly asked “Who is it?” with no response. Walker, a licensed gun owner then armed himself due to lack of response. Police used a battery ram to enter the apartment. Walker shoots first, logically assuming these men are burglars as they did not identify themselves. He then shot one robber in the leg. Officers responded by opening fire of more than 20 rounds, shooting Breonna at least 8 times, ending her life. Kenneth was arrested at the time, but has since had all charges dropped on grounds of self-defense. Breonna had an ex-boyfriend who was in custody for selling drugs, and suspected of shipping them to Breonna’s home. She had nothing to do with the drugs but the no knock warrant that a judge awarded was based on this suspicion. No drugs were found in the apartment. This negligence cost Breonna her life. Family and friends tell the truth, that she was not that type of person, who would risk the life she had for something as silly as drugs. It has been 84 days since her death. On May 21st the F.B.I. began an investigation but the three cops are still out there employed on the force.

The history and use of no-knock warrants is all bad news. The number of no-knock raids has increased from 3,000 in 1981 to over 50,000 in 2005. From 2010 to 2016 31 civilians died at the hands of officers using a no-knock warrant and 81 civilians died during SWAT raids using no-knock warrants. More than half of civilians killed were a minority, 42% of them African American.

It is heartbreaking to hear how a woman full of so much life and promise is no longer with us. Police brutality has been on the rise in the US. From 2013-2019, police in Kentucky killed 122 people. Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than White people.

If you read my last post you may recall that Black people are also three times as more likely to die from the COVID-19. Breonna was risking the last of her days in more ways than one. If you are born Black it should not warrant suspicion, the color of your skin should not be a death sentence. This injustice has not gone unnoticed. Protests are happening to garner support and awareness for Ms. Taylor. We need to continue putting pressure on the Louisville Metro Police Department to arrest Myles Cosgrove, Brett Hankison and Jonathan Mattingly. Recently we saw how the same fight for accountability can have positive results as the degree of murder in the George Floyd case was raised as well as the arrest of other complicit officers. We need the same swift action for Breonna Taylor.

Thanks for reading.

       

Below are resources to either help Ms. Taylor’s family or to put pressure on the LMPD to hold officers accountable for taking Breonna’s life. If you have any additional resources either contact me through my contact page or email them. I will add them to the post.

This List was last updated: 6/18/2020

Website called Justice for Breonna, resources on how to take action.

Email link that is prewritten to Assistant Chief of police of Louisville KY as well as Mayor of Louisville. All need is to insert your name, city and state.

Email script and link I put together. Copy and paste the script, filling in your name/city/state to demand justice for Breonna Taylor from Kentucky’s Attorney General.

Justice for Breonna Taylor Petition

Call this number and demand accountability. You can find a prewritten script here.

Official GofundMe for Breonna Taylor. Proceeds go directly to her family.

A second GoFundMe for both Breonna and David McAtee. You can read more about McAtee here.

Louisville Bail Fund for protesters

Call/Email demanding Justice for Breonna Taylor.

Edit 6/6/2021

I’d like to take a moment and give space to Breonna Taylor.

A year ago I wrote about the tragedy that stole Ms. Taylor’s life. She and I have the same birthday, yesterday June 5th. She would be 28 if 4 white cops did not have the ability to abuse the power they have. It’s been 450 days or a year and 85 days since her murder. Not nearly enough has been done to bring justice and accountability for her family.

Here is what has happened since:

• While all of the cops involved were either fired or resigned themselves, none have been convicted for her murder

• Jonathan Mattingly got a Book Deal with a small press, but luckily in protest it’s distributor Simon & Schuster refuses to ship the books.

• Shortly after this decision Mattingly announced his retirement

• Myles Cosgrove was fired, it has been determined his 16 rounds ended Breonna Taylor’s life. He was fired for violating use of deadly force procedure.

• Joshua Jaynes was fired for violating the standard operating procedure for truthfulness. Jaynes acquired the no-knock warrant for Breonna Taylor’s apartment, but withheld from the judge that the US Postal inspector did not confirm Breonna’s Ex was receiving packages at her home. Jaynes did not verify, but swore to it in the affidavit when obtaining the warrant.

• Brett Hankison was indicted for “wantonly endangerment” of the first degree, in relation to shooting the apartment next door. Charges and indictment were decided by a 12 person grand jury.
• Hankison would later be fired from the force for the same charge he received, but his superior made the distinction that it was for “wantonly and blindly” firing 10 shots into Breonna Taylor’s apartment.

• Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith postponed the trial of Hankison for wanton endangerment in connection to Ms. Taylor’s murder. Originally it was scheduled from Aug. 31st 2021 and now is on Feb. 1 2022 The judge cited the pandemic for the postponement. Hankison’s next pre trial date is next month, July 16th at 11am. This trial could finally convict one of Ms. Taylor’s murderers.

• Breonna’s law was passed in Louisville banning no-knock warrants in the city
• Kentucky governor signed into law limiting no-knock warrants across the state.
• In a wrongful death suit Ms. Taylor’s family is being awarded $12 million USD. Tanika Palmer, Taylor’s mother has said the reforms and 12 mil do not equal justice for her daughter’s death. In her words “It’s time to move forward with the criminal charges.”

If you can say that you believe that Black Lives Matter to you, please don’t let Breonna Taylor slip from your mind. Continue to say her name. Continue to advocate for the charging and conviction of all four of the cops mentioned who had a hand in her death. As mentioned before Hankison’s next pretrial date is July 16th at 11am. I often share resources on my site to help, from call scripts to put pressure on representatives, to emailing people whose job it is to make decisions for constituents in regards to public safety. I will share them here as well as I find them.

My heart goes out to Ms. Taylor’s family.