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Hours after a U.S. grand jury failed to press charges against Louisville police in the death of Breonna Taylor and protesters took to the streets, authorities said two officers were shot and wounded Wednesday night (NZT Thursday) during demonstrations expressing anger at the killings of black people at the hands of the police.
Louisville Acting Police Chief Robert Schroeder said a suspect was in custody but did not offer details on whether that person was participating in the demonstrations. It says both officers are expected to recover and that one will undergo surgery.
John Minchillo / AP
Police and protesters clash in Louisville, Kentucky after Breonna Taylor’s decision.
It says officers were shot after investigating reports of shooting at an intersection where there was a large crowd.
Multiple shots were heard as protesters in downtown Louisville tried to avoid police blockades, advancing down an alley while officers threw pepper balls, according to an Associated Press reporter.
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People covered their ears, fled, and frantically searched for places to hide. Police with long weapons invaded the area, then officers in riot gear and military-style vehicles blocked the roads.
John Minchillo / AP
A grand jury indicted an officer on criminal charges six months after police fatally shot Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.
The violence comes after prosecutors said two officers who fired their guns at Taylor, a black woman, were justified in using force to protect themselves after being shot by her boyfriend.
The only charges were three counts of senseless endangerment against fired officer Brett Hankison for shooting at a home next to Taylor’s with people inside.
The FBI is still investigating possible violations of federal law in connection with the raid on Taylor’s home on March 13. Ben Crump, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, denounced the decision as “outrageous and offensive” and protesters shouted: “No justice, no peace!” he immediately marched through the streets.
Eduardo Muñoz Alvarez
Protesters march across the Manhattan Bridge following the Kentucky grand jury’s decision not to charge any police officer for the murder of Breonna Taylor.
Fights broke out between the police and the protesters, and some were arrested. Officers fired explosions and burned a few small fires in a plaza that has been at the center of the protests but had largely cleared before night curfew as protesters marched through other parts of downtown Louisville.
Dozens of patrols blocked the city’s main thoroughfare and more police arrived after the officer was shot. Protesters also marched in cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.
Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by white officers who entered her home with a court order not to touch during a narcotics investigation.
However, state attorney general Daniel Cameron said the investigation showed that the officers announced themselves before entering. The warrant used to search his home was related to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside.
Along with the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, Taylor’s case became a major touchstone for nationwide protests that drew attention to entrenched racism and demanded police reform.
Taylor’s image has been painted on the streets, stamped on protest posters, and screen-printed on T-shirts worn by celebrities. Several prominent African American celebrities joined in urging that the officers be charged.
John Minchillo / AP
Several shots were heard as protesters in downtown Louisville tried to avoid police blockades, advancing down an alley while officers threw pepperballs, according to an Associated Press reporter.
The announcement generated sadness, frustration and anger that the grand jury did not go further. Each of the unjustified endangerment charges carries a sentence of up to five years. Morgan Julianna Lee, a high school student in Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the ad at her home. “It’s almost like a slap in the face,” the 15-year-old said by phone.
“If I, as a black woman, ever need justice, I will never get it.” Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said he authorized a limited deployment of the National Guard. Beshear also urged Cameron, the state attorney general, to post online all the evidence that could be released without affecting the charges filed. “Those who are currently frustrated, hurt, deserve to know more,” he said.
The case exposed the wide gap between public opinion about justice for those who kill Black Americans and the laws under which those officers are charged, which typically favor the police and do not often lead to pronounced criminal charges.
At a press conference, Cameron spoke about that disconnect: “Criminal law is not meant to answer all pain and sorrow.” But my heart breaks over the loss of Miss Taylor. … My mother, if something were to happen to me, I would find it very difficult, “he added, choking.
But Cameron, who is the state’s first black attorney general, said officers acted in self-defense after Taylor’s boyfriend shot them. He added that Hankison and the other two officers who entered Taylor’s apartment announced themselves before entering, so they did not execute the “do not call” order, according to the investigation.
AP
Breonna Taylor was shot multiple times by officers who broke into her home on March 13 during a narcotics investigation.
Since then, the city has banned such orders. “Under Kentucky law, the use of force by (Officers Jonathan) Mattingly and (Myles) Cosgrove was justified in protecting themselves,” he said. “This justification prohibits us from bringing criminal charges for the death of Miss Breonna Taylor.” Cameron said an FBI crime lab determined that Cosgrove fired the bullet that killed Taylor.
Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, opened fire when police broke in and beat Mattingly. Walker told police he heard blows but did not know who entered and fired in self-defense. Cameron, who is a Republican, is a protégé of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and some have labeled him his heir.
His was also one of 20 names on President Donald Trump’s list to fill a future vacancy on the Supreme Court. At a press conference, Trump read a statement from Cameron saying that “justice is rarely easy.” He praised both Cameron’s handling of the case and the governor who called in the National Guard.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told reporters that he did not have enough information about the decision to comment in depth, but warned protesters to keep peace. “Do not tarnish your memory or that of your mother by participating in acts of violence,” he said.
Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate and former prosecutor, also told reporters that she had not fully read the decision. “But there is no doubt that Breonna Taylor and her family deserved justice yesterday, today and tomorrow, so I will review it.” she said.
Hankison was fired on June 23. A termination letter from Louisville Acting Police Chief Robert Schroeder said he had violated procedures by showing “extreme disregard for the value of human life” when he fired his gun “senselessly and blindly.”
Mattingly, Cosgrove and the detective seeking the warrant, Joshua Jaynes, were assigned to an administrative reassignment. Last week, the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, agreeing to pay her $ 12 million (NZ $ 18 million) and enact police reforms.
