Breonna Taylor, aged 26, was an African-American medical worker who was killed on March 13, 2020, after police officers from Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) forced entry into her home. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a warning shot, mistaking the police for intruders, and wounded officer Jonathan Mattingly. Mattingly and two other LMPD officers—Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove—opened fire, but Cosgrove was determined to have fired the fatal shot.[11][12] Taylor's family was awarded $12 million in compensation and was given a promise that the LMPD would reform its practices.[13]
The killing of Taylor by white police officers, and the initial lack of charges against the LMPD officers involved, sparked numerous protests with supporters adopting the motto #SayHerName. These protests against police brutality and racism were concurrent with the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement across the United States.[14] The civil unrest was exacerbated when the grand jury was not presented with the option to indict the officers with the homicide of Taylor.[15][16] Jurors have also accused the police and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron of covering up what happened.[17][18]
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