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Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) who was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Law enforcement officials on March 13 throughout a raid on her dwelling the place her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was additionally sleeping.
Walker, who was arrested and charged with tried murder on accusations he shot one of many law enforcement officials throughout the raid, is being defended by legal professional Rob Eggert. Eggert advised native information station WDBR that Walker was appearing in self-defense and stated Taylor’s loss of life was the results of “police misconduct.”
Walker has pleaded not responsible to the costs.
Right here’s what you should know:
1. Taylor, Who Additionally Labored for Two Hospitals, Wrote That She Liked Serving to Others
Taylor was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 5, 1993 to Tamika Palmer and Trory Herrod, based on her obituary. She graduated from Western Excessive College in 2011 and went on to check on the College of Kentucky.
Taylor turned an EMT for town of Louisville, and he or she additionally labored at two native hospitals. Taylor was a full-time ER Technician for the College of Louisville Jewish Hospital and he or she was a PRN (as wanted) for Norton Healthcare.
On her Fb web page, Taylor described her love for having the ability to assist others. “Working in well being care is so rewarding! It makes me so pleased once I know I’ve made a distinction in another person’s life!” she stated.
After her loss of life, she even obtained condolences from EMTs who didn’t know her, corresponding to one left by Ohio EMT Marcus Santoli:
I solely heard about Breonna this morning, we’ve by no means met nor even knew of one another, however she is taken into account a Sister. I’m an EMT from Ohio and I can’t assist but in addition really feel this horrible loss. She clearly beloved her group and had a blossoming ardour to assist it. She devoted her livelihood to the preservation of her neighbors and for the extreme coaching and intensely tough assessments it actually was a job she was born to do. On behalf of myself and The household that’s EMS, worldwide, I ship you my condolences, finest needs and good well being on this attempting time. And as for Breonna, Thanks in your timeless service to your group and this nation. It is not going to be forgotten.
2. Taylor Was Shot Shortly After She Was Woke up by the Raid
In accordance with studies from the native WDRB TV station, officers from the Louisville Metro Police Division’s Prison Interdiction Division used a battering ram to interrupt down the door and rushed into the home on Springfield Drive at 1 a.m., waking Taylor and her boyfriend, Walker. Walker shot on the officers, wounding one, and the three who entered some 22 pictures fired again, based on Eggert, Walker’s protection legal professional; Taylor was shot eight occasions and died.
Preliminary studies from the Louisville Courier Journal have police describing Taylor as “a feminine suspect”: “A Louisville Metro Police sergeant was shot and wounded and a suspect was killed early Friday throughout a narcotics investigation close to St. Andrews Church Highway and Doss Excessive College, based on authorities.”
In accordance with Walker’s lawyer, Walker shot again in self-defense as a result of he stated police didn’t announce themselves. His lawyer wrote to the court docket that Walker “needs to exonerate himself. His girlfriend was killed in a hail of police bullets whereas bare and he himself merely acted to attempt to shield himself.”
Taylor’s aunt, Bianca Austin, advised native TV station WHAS-11, “This isn’t a lady who would sacrifice her life and her household morals and values to promote medicine on the road,” Bonica Austin, Taylor’s aunt, stated.
3. Kenneth Walker Accused of Tried Homicide
Louisville Metro Division of CorrectionsKenneth Walker
Kenneth Walker, 27, was arrested and charged with tried homicide and assault for capturing Sgt. John Mattingly; Mattingly survived and underwent surgical procedure for his accidents.
He pleaded not responsible and his lawyer argued that he acted in self-defense as a result of he didn’t know who was on the door.
“Had Mr. Walker recognized that police had been outdoors he would have opened the door and ushered them in,” Eggert advised the Courier Journal, including that no medicine had been discovered, the house belonged to Taylor and Walker wasn’t even the goal of the police’s search warrant.
Sam Aguiar, a lawyer for Taylor’s household, advised WDRB that it was a case of misidentification and that he believed officers had been in search of another person related to a unique raid.
“One thing went terribly improper,” he stated. “This was clearly a botched execution of a warrant.”
Walker was being held on a $250,000 full money bond, but Jefferson Circuit Courtroom Decide Olu Stevens launched him to dwelling incarceration, to the outrage of the police union.
4. Taylor’s Dying Sparked Disappointment and Outrage
Taylor’s sister, Tracy Chapman, has posted messages looking for #JusticeforBree usually and not too long ago, Taylor was featured on a Fb web site, “The Misidentified 4 – Louisville,” featured above.
Taylor was a daughter and granddaughter and he or she additionally left behind siblings and an uncle, who has since written about her loss of life on Fb.
Louisville metro police division… not solely did u take her life however u additionally took the lives she would’ve saved…..she beloved being there Four ppl after we wanted her
Austin advised the Courier Journal, “She actually didn’t deserve to finish her life so horrifically.”
In accordance with her obituary:
Breonna Taylor was vigorous and beloved social gatherings along with her buddies and particularly her household. She beloved life and all it needed to provide. She continued to search out methods to raised herself and the individuals round her … She leaves behind to cherish her reminiscence a bunch of household and buddies, some she was born into, some she inherited and a few she made all on her personal, however however regardless of how they got here they had been all household in the identical to her.
5. Police Say the Matter Is Being Investigated
Louisville Metro Police DivisionChief Steve Conrad (left) and Jonathan Mattingly (proper)
In an electronic mail to WDRB, Chief Steve Conrad declined to debate the “incident that resulted in Ms. Taylor’s loss of life” as a result of pending Public Integrity investigation. Nevertheless, he did notice that no digicam footage was accessible for the incident, as a result of Prison Interdiction Division officers don’t put on them.
Det. Myles Cosgrove and Det. Brent Hankison, the 2 officers who weren’t shot — have been positioned on administrative go away. Considered one of them, Cosgrove, was sued for extreme pressure by a person he shot in 2006 at a Speedway fuel station; Cosgrove gained the go well with.
Nevertheless, prosecutor Ebert Haegele objected to Walker’s model of the raid and stated Eggert’s theories had been irrelevant as to whether Walker ought to even be launch awaiting trial.
“One individual is useless, and one individual was virtually killed as a consequence of Mr. Walker’s actions,” prosecutor Ebert Haegele stated.
Conrad has criticized Walker’s launch and stated:
“I actually perceive the necessity to verify we’re releasing these individuals who don’t pose a threat to our group from the jail, particularly as we face the outbreak of COVID-19. Nevertheless, it’s exhausting for me to see how a person accused of capturing a police officer falls into that low-risk class and I’m very annoyed by Mr. Walker’s launch to dwelling incarceration.”
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