A Wrongful Death Suit was settled for the death of Breonna Taylor. What happened?
Summary
On March 13, the Louisville, Kentucky Police department mistakenly entered 26-year old Breonna Taylor’s home with a “no-knock” warrant, in pursuit of a tip on narcotics activity, and fatally shot her.
- The three officers that raided Taylor’s apartment were not charged with a crime; however, one officer was fired shortly after the incident and the other two were re-assigned.
- The incident led to months-long protests of police brutality as activists demanded justice for Breonna Taylor and others impacted by injustice.
- Today, six months later, the Louisville Police Department announced a settlement agreement between the Department and Taylor’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit.
- The police department expressed its condolences to the Taylor family and outlined several new policies, including a requirement that all commanders approve search warrants before they go to Judges, in an effort to re-instill trust in the community.
- Although no official announcement of the settlement amount has been made, journalists speculate that it will be more than $8.5 million, the largest that Louisville has ever seen.
- Generally frames the settlement as a victory for the Black Lives Matter Movement, and a step towards accountability for police and justice for communities.
- Draws emphasis on the Louisville PD’s egregious miscalculation, pointing out that the case will continue to be investigated, and the search warrants “addressed”.
- Rehashes the details of the case, with a focus on the facts that Breonna Taylor was doing nothing wrong and her boyfriend was in legal possession of a firearm when the police infringed on their space.
- This implies that Breonna Taylor’s death was the result of a necessary escalation of force, and is generally sympathetic to the police.
- Emphasizes that the state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who will work with the FBI on the investigation of the case, is the first black person to hold the position.
- Generally portrays the incident as ambiguous, pointing out that police were equipped with body cameras.
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© Evelyn Torsher, 2020
