Eighty-seven people were arrested and charged with a felony after a protest Tuesday on the lawn of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Louisville Metro Police Department said in a statement. Protesters demanded charges be brought against officers responsible for the March shooting death of Breonna Taylor.
The protest began Tuesday night near Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky, reports CBS News affiliate WLKY-TV. Protesters marched from school to Cameron’s home, with many of the protesters sitting and standing on Cameron’s lawn. The police asked the protesters, chanting slogans demanding justice for Taylor, to leave, but many decided to stay. Those who did so were arrested without incident, according to WLKY-TV.
“In total, 87 people were arrested,” LMPD said in its statement. “Due to their refusal to abandon the property and their attempts to influence the Attorney General’s decision by their actions, each person was accused of intimidating a participant in a legal process (class D felony), disorderly conduct of the second degree (Class B misdemeanor), and Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree. (Rape). “
Cameron said his office “will continue a thorough and fair investigation” into Taylor’s death, and said the protest “will not alter our search for the truth.”
“The stated goal of today’s protest at my house was to ‘scale up,'” Cameron added. “That is not acceptable and only serves for further division and tension within our community. Justice is not achieved by trespassing on private property, and it is not achieved by escalation. It is achieved by examining the facts impartially and impartially. That is exactly what we are doing and will continue to do in this investigation. “
Porsha Williams of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” was among those arrested, reports WLKY-TV.
WLKY-TV
Taylor, 26, was killed on March 13 when officers entered her home in search of illegal drugs. Authorities said officers knocked on the door and announced themselves, and only started shooting after they “immediately encountered gunfire” from Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. But Taylor’s family said in a lawsuit that officers did not identify themselves and that Walker, the owner of a licensed gun, thought someone was trying to break in.
In the wake of Taylor’s death, Louisville passed a ban on “do not touch” orders, which allow police to enter a home without first announcing their presence. The bill is named after Taylor.
Brett Hankison, one of the officers involved in Taylor’s death, He was fired June 23, more than three months after Taylor’s death. Two other officers have been placed on administrative leave.
Victoria Albert contributed reporting.
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