Breonna Taylor death: What we know after an unarmed black woman was killed at her Kentucky home

Calls grow for accountability over killing of 26-year-old emergency medical tech worker in March
Ms Taylor was shot eight times on March 13 during a police raid on her home in Kentucky
Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor
David Child29 May 2020

Outcry over the killing of Breonna Taylor, a black woman fatally shot by police in her home earlier this year, reached a boiling point overnight Thursday in Kentucky.

At least seven people were shot in Louisville when gunfire erupted during a protest called to demand justice for Ms Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical tech worker.

At least one of those shot is in a critical condition and several arrests have been made.

Police spokesman Sgt Lamont Washington said all seven victims were civilians, adding that “no officers discharged their service weapons”.

Here, we take a closer look at what happened to Ms Taylor and what has caused the unrest.

The demonstrations in Louisville demanding justice for Ms Taylor went on for more than six hours
AP

What happened to Breonna Taylor?

Ms Taylor was shot eight times on March 13 during a police raid which saw three police officers force their way inside her Kentucky home.

The officers were at the property to serve a search warrant in a narcotics investigation.

The Louisville Metro Police Department said the men announced themselves and returned gunfire when Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at them.

No drugs were found in the home.​

What was the reaction to her death?

Attention on Ms Taylor’s death intensified after her family sued the Louisville Metro Police Department earlier this month, with the case attracting widespread media coverage.

In a wrongful death lawsuit, Taylor's mother said the officers didn't knock at all before entering her apartment.​

Marking the latest update in the case, on Thursday one of Mr Walker's attorneys released audio of the 911 call placed by Ms Taylor's boyfriend after she was shot.

In the call, Walker tells the 911 operator, "Somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend," and that Taylor was unresponsive on the ground.

"This call is one of the hardest things I've ever listened to," attorney Sam Aguiar said in a statement.

"Kenneth Walker is a great man. He stayed by Breonna's side. He lost the love of his life and then went to jail after doing everything right. He had no idea who had broken into the home and fired shots. My heart is bleeding for him and his family."

Thursday's demonstration in Louisville meanwhile coincided with protests across the wider United States - from Los Angeles to Memphis, and Tennessee to New York - against the death of a black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis police custody.

What happened at the Louisville protest?

According to local media reports, some 500 to 600 demonstrators marched through Louisville's streets on Thursday nights to protest against Ms Taylor's killing.

The demonstrations went on for more than six hours, ending in the early hours of Friday as rain poured down.​

At around 12.20am, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted a video which he said was a message from Ms Taylor’s family.

“Louisville, thank you so much for saying Breonna’s name tonight. We are not going to stop until we get justice,” a woman says in the video.

“But we should stop tonight before people get hurt. Please go home, be safe and be ready to keep fighting.”

Meanwhile, live video from Louisville showed some protesters behind makeshift wooden barricades, which appeared to be made out of picnic tables spray-painted with the words: “You can’t kill us all.”

Police in body armour and face shields held batons and lined up around Louisville City Hall.

They appeared to fire rubber bullets and deploy tear gas canisters, fogging the air and inducing coughs among the remaining members of the crowd.

Chants from protesters included: “No justice, no peace”, and “Whose streets? Our streets.”​

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