Louisville, KY — Breonna Taylor, who was working as an EMT in Kentucky when the coronavirus pandemic started, was reportedly killed after being shot 8 times by police who mistakenly entered her apartment. Her family is filing a lawsuit accusing the officers of wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence.
Back in March, Taylor, who was only 26-years old, was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police officers while serving a drug warrant at her apartment, but nothing illegal was found there.
It was eventually found out that the police went to the wrong home and the real suspect was actually already in custody before the raid.
Taylor’s family is suing the LMPD officers, saying they “blindly fired” into the home, firing shots into Taylor’s house and neighboring apartments “with a total disregard for the value of human life,” according to the lawsuit.
Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who was at the apartment thought they were being robbed so he fired at the officers who forcefully entered. He was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of a police officer.
Sgt. John Mattingly, who was shot in the leg during the incident, detectives Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison were placed on administrative reassignment in connection to the incident.
More than that, Taylor’s family is seeking justice. The lawsuit her family filed demands a trial by jury.
“Not one person has talked to me. Not one person has explained anything to me,” Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, told The Courier Journal. “I want justice for her. I want them to say her name. There’s no reason Breonna should be dead at all.”
National civil rights attorney Ben Crump is joining local attorneys Sam Aguiar and Lonita Baker in the legal team to help Taylor’s family find answers. Crump has represented in several big cases including the recent shooting of Ahmaud Arbery.
Meanwhile, the LMPD has not made a comment regarding the incident, stating “the Public Integrity investigation into this case remains ongoing, therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment beyond what we already have said immediately following the incident.”