Breonna Taylor Decision

by Shrawani Pradhan

Edited by Uday Lingampalli, Harvi Karatha, Shivanshi Sharma, & Sahithi Lingampalli, Layout by Sahithi Lingampalli, Artwork by Hala Abdelqader

The death of George Floyd brought attention to hundreds of instances in which African Americans wrongfully faced police brutality. Breonna Taylor tragically met the same fate on March 13, 2020, when three Louisville police officers led a careless raid through her apartment. This case soon became a household name when the public demanded justice in protests that are still prevalent today.

Breonna Taylor, a Black ER technician and nurse, was wrongfully accused of being tied to a drug ring. A few months before Taylor was killed, her ex- boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, a convicted felon - who the Louisville Metro Police suspected of supplying drugs to the ring - was being investigated. A CNN investigation in July discovered that detectives linked Taylor’s home to Glover, who used it as his current address. Taylor’s family denied that Breonna was involved in this drug scandal. Her mother said, “I know Breonna ain’t about that life. Breonna couldn't tell you where to buy a dime bag of weed. She isn't that person on the news."

Kenneth Walker, Breonna’s current boyfriend at the time, was with her on March 13, 2020, when she died. Walker reported that he and Breonna heard banging on the front door and assumed it was Glover. They both walked towards the door; Walker with his legally owned firearm. As they approached the door, the door flew off its hinges. Shocked at this turn of events, Walker shot his gun once. The police, who were out of uniform, fired back 20 times. Breonna Taylor was shot, and killed as they did so. Walker was arrested and charged for attempted murder for allegedly shooting one of the officers who opened fire in Taylor’s apartment.

As the Black Lives Matter movement became a lot more popular after the death of George Floyd, Americans started remembering and talking about the other Black people who were wrongfully killed by the police, Breonna’s name being one of them. Chants of “No justice, no peace!” echoed through among Americans.

Despite the cries for justice, Breonna’s case did not receive the outcome it deserved. A grand jury indicted a former Louisville police officer for wanton endangerment (wrongful and reckless endangerment) for his actions that night, and he pleaded not guilty. The other two police officers who fired shots faced no charges. None of the officers present that night were charged with causing her death.

This result has caused a huge uproar in the media and has gained the attention of most of the world, including famous celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Selena Gomez, and Cardi B, and politicians like Kamala Harris, a senator from California, who says that Breonna’s life was “horrifically” taken by police officers.

Cries for justice resulted in several movements like #SayHeName, which actively brought awareness to Black women who face similar situations. The Breonna Taylor case may not have received the outcome we hoped, but the cries for justice are still louder than ever.