Moments after the police officer responsible for George Floyd’s death were arrested, with Officer Derek Chauvin receiving a second-degree murder charge, those active in the Black Lives Matter movement began to shift their attention to Breonna Taylor. The Louisville native was killed just months before her 27th birthday after police officers used a battery ram to enter her apartment with a “no-knock” warrant. Upon entering, officers fired multiple rounds, with at least eight gunshots hitting her.
Taylor’s death has become the protestor’s latest focus in making sure her and her family receive justice for her death. Now Beyonce has penned an open letter to the Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, voicing her frustration with Taylor’s unresolved death. In the letter, obtained by TMZ, the singer explains her exact frustrations with the handling of the incident.
Three months have passed — and the LMPD’s investigation have created more questions than answers. Their incident report states that Ms. Taylor suffered no injuries — yet we know she was shot at least at times. The LMPD 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, all say this is untrue.
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.
Beyonce then made three requests to the attorney general, asking for the following to be made: arrest and charge the officers involved in her death, commit to transparency during the investigation and prosecution of the officers, and investigate the LMPD for any wrongdoing in both their response to Taylor’s death and any practices resulting in the loss of “unarmed Black citizens.”
In her conclusion, Beyonce made one final plea with the attorney general.
Don’t let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy. With every death of a Black person at the hands of the police, there are two real tragedies: the death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it. This is your chance to end that pattern. Take swift and decisive action in charging the officers.
Beyonce’s full letter can be seen here.
[via TMZ]