It’s been a year since Breonna Taylor was tragically killed in her sleep at the hands of Louisville, Kentucky, police officers.
Her mother, Tamika Palmer, spoke to CNN’s New Day ahead of the anniversary of her daughter’s passing to make clear “there’s still not been justice for Breonna.”
via People:
Describing the incident as “crazy” and “still unbelievable,” Palmer noted that justice for her daughter would mean seeing the “officers arrested, and charged and convicted.”
Adding that she feels “anger,” Palmer said that she is upset at “the way this whole thing happened, anger that it was so avoidable, and anger that she lost her life for it.”
In a separate interview earlier in the week with Today, Palmer also shared: “I don’t even know the difference in the days anymore.”
Taylor, an aspiring nurse who had been working as an EMT, was in her apartment with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shortly after midnight on March 13 when Louisville Metro Police officers executing a no-knock warrant charged through the door, according to the lawsuit against LMPD officers, which was filed by Palmer on April 27.
The police were executing a search warrant for an investigation into a suspected drug dealer, who police alleged had once retrieved a package at Taylor’s home. But the suspected drug dealer didn’t live at Taylor’s building — and had, in fact, just been arrested at a different location. No drugs were found in Taylor’s apartment.
The suit alleged Walker fired a warning shot as the unknown persons breached the front door with a battering ram, and that officers responded by firing more than 20 bullets into the apartment. According to the suit — which accused the officers and the department of wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence — Taylor was hit eight times.
Taylor’s name soon joined those of others invoked by protesters across the country seeking justice for Black victims of alleged bias or police brutality — among them Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, George Floyd in Minnesota and Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
The criminal shooting charges against Walker were also recently permanently dismissed with prejudice, meaning he cannot be recharged for the incident.
On Sunday, attorney Ben Crump tweeted: “1 year ago, Breonna Taylor was tragically killed in her own home, igniting a movement for racial justice and necessary change, which has prompted many cities and states to BAN no-knock warrants. 365 days have passed but the fight for justice for Breonna Taylor continues!!”
In her interview with Today, Palmer also reflected on all the love that her daughter has been shown across the globe. Noting that she is “eternally grateful” for the support, Palmer said, “So many people who never even met her, but they learned of her and they — they came to stand for her because what happened to her wasn’t right. I could never say thank you enough.”
Palmer added that fighting for justice for her daughter is something she will continue to do.
“Just to know who Breonna was — she didn’t deserve that,” she said. “And so I’ve always felt like I’ve had one job: It was to protect my kids. And so, how do you not continue to fight?”
#JusticeForBreonnaTaylor
