Grieving parents of Breonna Taylor are suing police. She was shot in a bungled raid on the wrong address – as police searched for a man they already had in custody.
As AOL News reports “Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT worker in Louisville, Ky., was shot in her bed after midnight on March 13 by three police officers serving a “no-knock warrant,” becoming another statistic in the long list of African-Americans killed at the hands of police. What makes the case unusual is that Taylor was a woman. And, of course, she was asleep.”
“The incident is still being investigated and Taylor’s family is suing Louisville Metro Police Department Officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankinson and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly alleging wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence. According to the suit, the police fired more than 20 rounds in the apartment. Taylor was hit eight times and pronounced dead at the scene.”
“The officers were looking for a drug suspect who lived 10 miles away and was already in police custody, according to the Courier-Journal. Police said the suspect had used the address where Taylor lived with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, to receive packages in the mail.
“No drugs were found in the apartment, and neither Taylor nor Walker has an arrest record.”
Mr Walker, thinking he was being raided and robbed, opened fire during the no-knock raid. Police are attempting to use this as a feeble excuse for their ineptitude and shooting.
ACTION:
We will write to Governor Andy Beshear to demand the officers and those who ordered this raid be brought swiftly to trial, are immediately thrown off the force, their past use of firearms is examined, and their backgrounds investigated for any links to far right/racist groups. We will demand the end of such raids; Ms Taylor is the latest victim in a’ war on drugs’ that no one is winning.
Please contact Governor Andy Beshear through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:
The reasons for Breonna Taylor’s death include negligence, bungling, gun culture in the police, the ‘war on drugs’ – and quite possibly institutionalized racism: it’s up to you to ensure these angles are all investigated. You need to end ‘no-knock’ raids, and armed raids on homes before more innocent people are hurt or killed.
The police involved were apparently looking for drugs – with fatal force: and looking for a man already in custody. No-knock raids combined with existing gun laws are a recipe for death. People are allowed to arm themselves to protect their property – and yet armed police can storm into such property and shoot at will, killing people like Ms Taylor: this makes no sense at all. What would have happened if officers checked records and custody records? She would be alive. What would happen if police did not swarm into her home in the dead of night, making householders fear for their lives as if they were living in a third world country warzone? She would still be alive. What if police waited until a person exited a house, checked their description to the wanted suspect and then calmly arrested them – only if warranted? She would still be alive. Is a drugs arrest worth rights violations and death? NEVER.
Things as they stand are rancid. We need an investigation into the background of those involved: are they competent? Racist? Linked to racist organisations? Have they killed before? We need to get them off the force now – before they kill again.
I expect a reply from you and I expect a swift removal of everyone involved in this deadly raid.
or for Twitter: Governor: Breonna Taylor’s death cannot go unanswered – remove all involved from the force today, have them investigated thoroughly – and put an end to deadly no-knock raids. She’s dead – and the suspect was already in custody: it is an outrage.
Phone: (502) 564-2611
Email (form): https://governor.ky.gov/contact/contact-us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndyBeshearKY/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyBeshearKY
Once you have made contact, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!