LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is demanding justice for the family of Breonna Taylor.
The Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter penned a letter to Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron asking for charges to be brought against the three Louisville Police officers involved in Taylor’s death.
“Three months have passed—and the LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers. Their incident report states that Ms. Taylor suffered no injuries –yet we know she was shot at least eight times. The LMPD officers claim they announced themselves before forcing their way into Ms. Taylor’s apartment – but her boyfriend who was with her, as well as several neighbors say this is untrue,” Knowles-Carter wrote.
Taylor, 26, was an EMT who was shot and killed in her home in what her family called a botched police raid in March. She and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were asleep in her apartment at the time of the raid.
The officers broke in the door. Walker, who had a licensed handgun, and thinking that he and Breonna were the victims of an attempted home invasion, fired, striking who he thought was a home intruder. It turned out that he struck a police officer.
The three Louisville police officers said they forced entry and were immediately met by gunfire. They returned fire, hitting Taylor eight times.
Two minutes later, Walker was on the phone with 911.
"I don't know what's happening -- somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend," he told the operator.
On The Today Show on Friday morning, attorneys for Taylor's family said Breonna and her boyfriend were startled when the officers entered without announcing themselves.
"Breonna wasn't involved in any drug activity, so they (the police) had no reason to be at her apartment that night," attorney Lonita Baker told The Today Show.
"Kenny and the seven other neighbors that live there say that nobody heard them announce themselves," Tamika Palmer said. "They did not announce themselves. Kenny called the police. If you say you're the police, I'm not going to call the police."
The unjustified shooting has led to a massive call for justice involving the Black Lives Matter movement, and a ban of no-knock warrants by police in Louisville.
“While “Breonna’s Law” passed in Louisville and federal legislation has been introduced that will also ban no-knock warrants, these small steps in the right direction are painful reminders that there has still been no justice for Breonna Taylor and her family,” Knowles-Carter noted.
“Three months have passed --- and zero arrests have been made, and no officers have been fired. The LMPD’s investigation was turned over to your office, and yet all of the officers involved in the shooting remain employed by the LMPD. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison must be held accountable for their actions.” She added.
She goes on to say, "don't let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy.
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