As Black Lives Matter protests around the nation continue, the Louisville officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor have not been charged. Due to this, Beyoncé is urging the attorney general to bring justice to the young woman and her family.
On Sunday, Bey published an open letter to Kentucky’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, on her website. She asked Cameron to bring accountability to the Louisville Police Department and to “demonstrate the value of a Black woman’s life.”
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot and killed on March 13 after plainclothed officers utilized a “no-knock” warrant to conduct a drug raid. No narcotics were found according to a lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family.
On June 11, the Louisville Metro Council passed “Breonna’s Law,” a ban on “no-knock” warrants. However, the officers involved have yet to be fired or arrested.
While ample time has passed for the police department to take steps in the right direction, we’ve seen no results. Beyoncé made a further call to action in her letter.
She states, “Their incident report states that Ms. Taylor suffered no injuries—yet we know she was shot at least eight times. The LMPD officers claim they announced themselves before forcing their way into Ms. Taylor’s apartment—but her boyfriend who was with her, as well as several neighbors, all say that this is untrue.”
She explains that Taylor’s family has not yet processed their grief because they have been fighting for the justice she deserves. With that, the singer listed three demands :
“1. Bring criminal charges against Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison.
2. Commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers’ criminal conduct
3. Investigate the LMPD’s response to Breonna Taylor’s murder, as well the pervasive practices that result in the repeated deaths of unarmed Black citizens.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBEwAH9HAy6/
This is not the singer’s first time speaking out on behalf of Taylor, earlier this month she took to Instagram to share a petition in hopes of spreading awareness.
Michaella Huck | IG: @Mixhaella