14 March 2021
Hundredsmarched in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday to mark one year since the police killing of Breonna Taylor, an unarmed Black woman.
The big picture: The families of other Black and Brown people shot by police, including Jacob Blake, Danny Ray Thomas and Sean Monterrosa, joined Taylor's family in Louisville to remember the 26-year-old and renew their calls for justice.
What they're saying: "It's a good day for the DOJ to arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor," Benjamin Crump,Taylor's family lawyer, told Saturday's crowd in Louisville.
- Sadiqa Reynolds, president of the Louisville Urban League, said "this is bigger than me and you. This is about justice. ... This is so we make sure that not another person dies at the hands of the police."
- President Biden tweeted, "Breonna Taylor’s death was a tragedy, a blow to her family, her community, and America. As we continue to mourn her, we must press ahead to pass meaningful police reform in Congress. I remain committed to signing a landmark reform bill into law.
Context: Police fatally shot Taylor on March 13, 2020, as they barged into the 26-year-old's home in plain-clothes while serving a search warrant.
- Louisville Metro Department Police officers returned fire after Taylor's boyfriend, who said he believed someone was breaking into the home, fired a shot as officers broke down the apartment's door.
- No officers were directly charged for Taylor's death. Three officers were fired and others were disciplined. One was charged for firing shots into neighboring apartments. An FBI investigation into the case is ongoing.
- Louisville's Metro Council last year passed "Breonna's Law," which bans no-knock warrants, like the one used in the raid on Taylor's home. The state's Senate also passed a bill that would limit the use of no-knock warrants, though protesters have called for a complete ban.
Protesters march in Louisville to mark one year since the police killing of Taylor. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Tamika Palmer, Taylor's mother, and lawyer Ben Crump lead a march in Louisville. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters in Louisville chant, "hands up, don't shoot," as they march past police. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters in Louisville took to the streets for more than 180 consecutive days last year to demand justice for Taylor. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters have repeatedly called for the officers involved in Taylor's death to be charged. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters chant, "Breewayy," to honor Taylor on Saturday. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters call for justice for all Black people killed by police. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters chant, "no justice, no peace," as they march in downtown Louisville, on Saturday. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Hundreds march in Louisville to remember Taylor on the first anniversary of her death. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Protesters sign a banner to honor Taylor's memory. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
The Louisville park, known to protesters as "Injustice Square," has been the center of protests calling for justice for Taylor. Photo: Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.