Breonna Taylor Killing: Angela Rye and Al Sharpton Demand Justice

Breonna Taylor (Family Photo)

Breonna Taylor was fatally shot on Mar. 13 by Louisville police officers while she slept in her home.

Taylor was 26 years old and working as an EMT in Louisville, Kentucky — helping to save lives and treat patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

Taylor’s death seemingly went unnoticed by the national media, until her family hired attorney Benjamin Crump, who rose to prominence in the Trayvon Martin case. Crump is also part of the legal team representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery – the black man shot and killed in Georgia after being chased down by two white men.

Related Story: LeBron James Expresses Outrage Over Killing of Ahmaud Arbery

According to a lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family, she was shot at least eight times by the three officers who reportedly broke into the victim’s apartment and executed a search warrant at the wrong home.

At a press conference on 13 March, the department said officers knocked on the door several times and announced themselves.

But Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, was also in the apartment during the time of the shooting, and according to the lawsuit, he shot back in self-defense at officers when they attempted to enter without announcing themselves.

The lawsuit filed by the family is alleging wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence. Now as the case gets more attention, celebrities and politicians are calling for justice.

You can read some of the reactions to the shooting below.

Attorney and activist Angela Rye tweeted, “#sayhername We will fight for you, Breonna.”

Rev. Al Sharpton also took to Twitter to express his support for the Taylor family.

“We stand w/ @AttorneyCrump & the Taylor family in demanding answers & calling for a swift independent investigation of the Louisville Metro PD. We call on Louisville local leadership to intervene, fire, arrest, & charge those involved. Visit https://fightforbreonna.org #BreonnaTaylor,” Sharpton tweeted.

Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted along with an NBC News video clip, “There are two systems of justice in America: one for Trump and his cronies and another one for Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.”

Sports journalist Jemele Hill also tweeted a link to the news story, along with a reply to the thread that read: “Did the police announce who they were? No. Did they even have the decency to tell Breonna’s mother what happened? No. BTW, Breonna’s boyfriend — who is a licensed gun owner — was charged with assault and attempted murder of the police officer for firing shots at the police.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reacted to the news and tweeted, “#BreonnaTaylor’s family deserves justice. It is so dehumanizing that Breonna’s family & many others must launch public campaigns just to have victim’s lives recognized & given the dignity of due process. She was killed two months ago, & nothing has happened.”