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About six months after the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor in her own apartment, the United States judiciary has indicted a police officer, but not for the fatal shots. Now-dismissed Officer Brett Hankison is charged with negligently endangering the lives of others, as announced by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
No charges will be brought against two other officials, he said. Investigators concluded that the other two officers were defending themselves, Cameron said. Black Breonna Taylor’s name had become a symbol of the movement against racism and police violence since her death in March.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Taylor family, tweeted about an “outrageous and insulting” court decision. Protesters took to the streets in Louisville, where Taylor was killed in March. Mayor Greg Fischer had declared a state of emergency the day before for fear of rioting. Police erected barricades in the city center and shops and restaurants protected their glass facades with plywood.
Shot in his own apartment
Taylor was shot and killed by police at her home in March in Louisville, Kentucky. Three plainclothes officers stormed the apartment in a nighttime drug bust. Taylor’s friend, who was in bed with the 26-year-old paramedic, claimed to have believed in a robbery, fired his gun and wounded an officer. The three officers then fired their service weapons.
According to Attorney General Cameron, Taylor received six bullets, one of which was fatal. Her friend was not disturbed. The police fired a total of 32 shots. The wounded officer and the police officer next to him legitimately responded to Taylor’s friend’s shooting with their own shots, Cameron said. The third officer apparently did not hit Taylor, but several of his shots entered a neighboring apartment. Therefore, he is charged with endangering the lives of others through negligence in three cases. Up to five years in prison are available for each of these charges.
World outrage
The case caused outrage around the world. During protests against racism and police violence against blacks following the death of African American George Floyd in a brutal police raid in late May, Taylor’s photo and name were repeatedly displayed. Along with Floyd, he is one of the symbolic figures of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Celebrities like the singer Beyoncé, the presenter Oprah Winfrey, the basketball star LeBron James or the Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton demanded justice for Taylor. In mid-September, Taylor’s family settled with the city of Louisville on a $ 12 million award to settle the civil lawsuit. In addition, an agreement provides for binding reforms for the Louisville police department, said Mayor Fischer.
