Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT was asleep in her bed when three police officers entered her apartment. The officers said they were there to execute a “no-knock” search warrant for a narcotics investigation. However, the suspect lived 10 miles away and was already in police custody.
The end results – Taylor is dead, Walker has been charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer, and not one officer has been charged, let alone disciplined. Rather they have been placed on administrative reassignment while an investigation is ongoing.
Two months after the incident, and after Taylor’s family filed a lawsuit that has garnered national attention, the Louisville Metro Police Department has announced changes to its search warrant policy.
Why does it take the loss of innocent life to force change? Why can’t police professionals be more proactive than reactive? In the Taylor case, defenders argue the officers fired only after Walker fired a shot. However, Walker fired just one shot, in self-defense, because he feared an intruder was breaking into the apartment. Do Second Amendment freedoms or stand your ground defenses only apply to White Americans?
I will continue to cover similar shootings as a tragic reminder of the danger black citizens face from the moment of their birth. Those we elect into office must recognize the seriousness of this problem and take necessary steps to address it. Lives depend on it.
Betrayal in Black, the fourth novel in the Zachary Blake Betrayal series, pays homage to the victims of these tragedies.
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