Our live coverage of the protests following the announcement in the Breonna Taylor case has moved here,
The Louisville Police Department says it is still tallying arrest numbers from unrest across the city last night following Wednesday’s indictment announcement. However, the department believes the arrest count will be close to 100, Sgt. Lamont Washington said in a Thursday morning press release.
Police said protesters moved road barricades and began letting traffic into restricted areas, jumped on police cars and set garbage cans on fire. Two officers were injured by gunfire when protestors marched in the area of Brook and College, according to the release.
In addition to arrests and unlawful assembly violations, police say businesses were looted including two City Gear stores and a pawn shop. Police expect to release additional information on looting locations today, the release added.
Protests took place across the US after Wednesday’s indictment in the Breonna Taylor case. Here’s what you need to know:
The indictment: Only one of the three officers involved in Taylor’s death was indicted on first-degree wanton endangerment charges.
The other two officers who also fired shots during the botched March raid were not indicted, meaning no officer was charged with killing Taylor.
The public reaction: Demonstrators and activists immediately criticized the charges against the former detective, Brett Hankison.
Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Taylor’s family, called the indictment “outrageous and offensive.” The NAACP also said the justice system “failed” Taylor and the charges against one officer do “not go far enough.”
Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, was surrounded by her youngest daughter, sister, and attorneys when she learned that only one officer would be indicted for wanton endangerment.
There was “a lot of sadness and weeping,” said Christopher 2X, a community activist who is assisting Palmer and who stood outside the room when Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision.
Athletes including LeBron James, Danny Green, Megan Rapinoe and Kayla McBride expressed their disappointment with the grand jury’s decision.
Jarrett Hill, a politics and pop culture journalist, told CNN that the indictment only confirmed that “the system is not working for us.”
“I think the message to the people across this country is we don’t care about you, especially if you are Black, and even more if you are women,” he said.
The protests: Protesters marched today in several US cities including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Louisville, Nashville, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Philadelphia.
In some cities, the protests have escalated into clashes with law enforcement; two officers were shot in Louisville, and police fired tear gas at protesters in Atlanta.
Portland Police declared a riot after protestors threw molotov cocktails, rocks, broke windows and lit fires, according to a press release from the police department.
Political reaction: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tweeted that violence should not be the answer “even amidst the profound grief & anger today’s decision.”
His running mate Kamala Harris called for reforms to the justice system in a tweet. “We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants,” she wrote.
Charles Ramsey, the former Philadelphia police commissioner and former Washington DC, police chief, told CNN that he agreed with the grand jury’s decision.
“I do believe the one officer should have been charged – what he did was reckless and certainly criminal. The other two officers, however, that were actually making entry into the apartment, I agree they should not have been charged criminally,” Ramsey told CNN.
The Seattle Police Department has just released information on the number of arrests made during last night’s protests in the city.
“In total, officers arrested 13 individuals for charges ranging from property destruction, resisting arrest and failure to disperse as well as assault on an officer,” the department said in a news release.
Multiple officers sustained injuries, it added, including “one who was struck in the head with a baseball bat cracking his helmet.”
The police also acknowledged there is footage circulating of an officer’s bike rolling over the head of a person in the street.
“In addition to this, the Seattle Police Department is aware of a video circulating on the internet that apparently shows an SPD bike officer’s bike rolling over the head of an individual laying in the street. This matter will be referred to the Office of Professional Accountability for further investigation.”
The Seattle Police have made additional arrests early this morning as protesters continue their violence against authorities, according to the police department.
“Protestors continue to throw rocks, bottles, and even a fire extinguisher at officers. Additional arrests have been made,” police continued in a post on Twitter
Charles Ramsey, the former Philadelphia police commissioner and former Washington, DC, police chief, told CNN earlier tonight that he agreed with the grand jury’s decision not to charge a single officer with killing Breonna Taylor.
Only one of the officers involved in her death was indicted, on the charge of first-degree wanton endangerment.
“I do believe the one officer should have been charged – what he did was reckless and certainly criminal. The other two officers, however, that were actually making entry into the apartment, I agree they should not have been charged criminally,” Ramsey told CNN.
Ramsey said that although Taylor’s death was “unfortunate” and “tragic,” the other officers had been “justified in returning fire” because Taylor’s boyfriend had fired the first shot when the police entered her apartment using a no-knock warrant.
What happened that night: Taylor was sleeping next to her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, in the early hours of March 13, when they heard a noise. They both got up and walked to the door.
Police forced entry into the home, and Walker said he couldn’t see but he fired one shot. After entering, an officer was shot in the leg, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said earlier today.
Collectively, the three officers at the scene fired more than 30 rounds.
Jarrett Hill, a politics and pop culture journalist, told CNN earlier tonight that the indictment in Breonna Taylor’s case only confirmed that “the system is not working for us.”
“I think the message to the people across this country is we don’t care about you, especially if you are black, and even more if you are women,” he said.
“All of those things combined, put together with this moment of how frustrated we are about the ways Breonna Taylor was treated by the Louisville police, I think it really creates a perfect storm of a lot of things.”
It’s nearing midnight in Portland, Oregon, but protesters are still active on the streets, even as police urge them to disperse.
The police earlier said those associated with the gathering were part of an unlawful assembly.
Protesters in Seattle, Washington, have started clashing with law enforcement, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Police added that they had fired pepper spray after protesters cut security cameras at the East Precinct.
Eight people have been arrested so far, police said.
The FBI Louisville office is asking for the public’s help for information on those who were involved in the shooting of two police officers in Louisville, Kentucky tonight during the protests.
It’s just past 11:30 p.m. PT on the West Coast, but crowds of protesters are still marching after today’s news of the indictment in the Breonna Taylor case.
Protesters are marching in downtown Los Angeles, California, where some demonstrators blocked a police vehicle earlier tonight.
Protesters are also on the streets of Portland, Oregon, where they have gathered near the Justice Center.
People marched in cities across the United States Wednesday, including New York, Philadelphia, Louisville, and Nashville.
Police ordered hundreds of protesters to disperse from downtown San Diego tonight, after clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.
The police said demonstrators may be arrested if they do not disperse. Officers also said there are several routes allowing free movement out of the area.
There are also other protests happening across the West Coast, including in Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon.
Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor’s mother, was surrounded by her youngest daughter, sister, and attorneys when she learned that only one officer would be indicted for wanton endangerment.
There was “a lot of sadness and weeping,” said Christopher 2X, a community activist who is assisting Palmer and who stood outside the room when Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision.
As Palmer wiped away her tears, she was embraced by her daughter Bianca Austin and attorney Lonita Baker, who attempted to comfort her.
Baker described it as a “tough” situation and said they were “just loving on each other as a family.”
“We didn’t fathom that it would be a situation where they would indict on charges against the neighbors and absolutely nothing on Breonna,” she said.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris tweeted about Breonna Taylor on Wednesday night, after the grand jury indictment.
“We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants.”
Former Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has tweeted his thoughts on tonight’s protests and the shooting of two police officers in Louisville:
Editor’s note: Laura Coates is a CNN senior legal analyst. She is a former assistant US attorney for the District of Columbia and trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The views expressed in this commentary are her own.
After 195 days, no officer has been arrested or charged for killing Breonna Taylor.
Wednesday’s grand jury indictment of former Louisville Det. Brett Hankison hasn’t brought justice for the death of Breonna Taylor. Hankison was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment charges because, prosecutors say, bullets from his firearm entered a neighboring apartment where three residents were home. In truth, this has changed nothing.
Justice feels like the elusive carrot that is dangled but never caught.
Consider the fact that Hankison was charged for shooting in the manner that could have killed someone.
No officer has been charged for the fact that someone actually did die.
Here’s the apparent logic behind that decision: Sgt. John Mattingly, Det. Myles Cosgrove and now-fired Det. Hankison executed a warrant on Taylor’s residence. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, inside the home at the time, feared they were the victims of a home invasion when the officers banged on the door but, according to Walker, didn’t respond when Taylor asked “Who is it?” before breaking down the door.
As the front door was broken down, Walker fired one shot at the first person to enter the apartment, hitting Mattingly. Mattingly and Cosgrove, returning fire in the direction of Walker, shot six and 16 times respectively, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said. Hankison, meanwhile, indiscriminately and, according to interim Louisville Police chief Robert Schroeder, “blindly” fired 10 rounds into the apartment.
Collectively, the three officers fired more than 30 rounds. Cameron, citing medical evidence obtained by his team, said that six bullets struck Breonna Taylor, with one being fatal. Taylor was in the hallway with Walker when she was struck. Prosecutors could not determine who fired the fatal shot or if Hankinson ever shot Taylor, but ultimately concluded that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in their use of force and would not be charged in Taylor’s death. Hankison’s attorney has declined to comment.
Read the full opinion here:
Athletes – many of whom have used their platforms to take stances against police brutality over the past few months – expressed their disappointment Wednesday after a grand jury in Louisville decided not to charge officers with killing Breonna Taylor.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said on Twitter, “I’ve been lost for words today!”
“I’m devastated, hurt, sad, mad! We want Justice for Breonna yet justice was met for her neighbors apartment walls and not her beautiful life. Was I surprised at the verdict. Absolutely not but damnit I was & still am hurt and heavy hearted! I send my love to Breonna mother, family and friends! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!!”
His Lakers teammate Danny Green said in a news conference that the decision was a “disappointment,” and that “our voices aren’t being heard loud enough.” But Green added that “we’re going to continue fighting, we’re going to continue to push, we’re going to continue to use our voices.”
WNBA player Kayla McBride, a guard on the Las Vegas Aces, said the news is “a tough pill to swallow, because it’s a large part of why we’re here.”
USWNT star Megan Rapinoe also wrote on Twitter, “My heart is with the family of Breonna Taylor right now. My god. This is devastating and unfortunately not surprising. Black and brown folx in this country deserve so much more.”
It’s just past midnight Eastern Time, and protests are ongoing across the country after Wednesday’s indictment in the Breonna Taylor case. Here’s what you need to know:
The indictment: Only one of the three officers involved in Taylor’s death was indicted on first-degree wanton endangerment charges.
The other two officers who also fired shots during the botched March raid were not indicted, meaning no officer was charged with killing Taylor.
The public reaction: Demonstrators and activists immediately criticized the charges against the former detective, Brett Hankison.
Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Taylor’s family, called the indictment “outrageous and offensive.” The NAACP also said the justice system “failed” Taylor and the charges against one officer do “not go far enough.”
The protests: Protesters marched today in several US cities including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Louisville, Nashville, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Philadelphia.
In some cities, the protests have escalated into clashes with law enforcement; two officers were shot in Louisville, and police fired tear gas at protesters in Atlanta.
Breonna Taylor’s mother learned about the results of the grand jury indictment just two minutes before Attorney General Daniel Cameron made his announcement, even after It was expected the family would have a heads-up on the decision, family attorney Sam Aguiar told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the attorney general’s office for comment.
Quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick tweeted his reaction to the Breonna Taylor indictment on Wednesday, saying, “The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people.”
He included the hashtags “Breonna Taylor,” “Say Her Name,” and “Abolish The Police.”
