Today would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. The Kentucky woman was an emergency medical technician for the University of Louisville Health. She was killed on March 13th, 2020, after three officers entered her home with a “no-knock” warning to execute a search warrant. After her boyfriend fired a shot believing the officers to be intruders, striking one officer in the thigh, they in turn allegedly fired 20 shots, eight of which hit Breonna while she was sleeping. These three Louisville cops involved in her death — Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove — were put on administrative leave, but not one of them has been arrested.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP Getty Images
While this case is upsetting enough on its own, it is particularly unnerving when we consider that all three of the officers that shot and killed Breonna have yet to face any charges. While arrests have been made in the two other high profile cases in recent months — former officer Derek Chauvin and the three other former Minneapolis officers involved in the death of George Floyd have been charged, as have Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan, Jr., who were involved in the death of Ahmaud Arbery — more and more time goes by without any justice for Breonna.
Here’s how you can demand justice for Breonna Taylor:
Sign The Petition
A Change.org petition started by law student Loralei HoJay demands that the three officers be arrested and charged immediately. The petition has reached nearly 4 million signatures. Sign here.
Send A Birthday Card
In honour of what would’ve been Breonna’s 27th birthday, #BirthdayForBreonna was launched by freelance writer Cate Young. The campaign encourages people to send a birthday card to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, demanding that charges be filed against the three officers, and Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fischer, demanding that he “fall in line and support charges for the killers.” Go to Action Item #4 on #BirthdayForBreonna for instructions.
Send An Email
The #BirthdayForBreonna campaign also encourages people to email Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Mayor Greg Fischer to demand that the officers be charged. There is already a fully scripted email prepared, with spaces to fill in your name and location. Go to Action Item #3 on #BirthdayForBreonna to find the email template.
Call
Call Mayor Greg Fischer at (502) 574-2003 and demand that these three officers be charged.
Text
-Text “ENOUGH” To 55156 to demand justice for Breonna.
Donate To Her Family
While this is not a direct way to demand justice, a GoFundMe was set up by Breonna’s aunt, Bianca Austin, to financially support Breonna’s family. Donate here.
More Ways To Help
Campaign Zero: “Over 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America. We are calling on local, state, and federal lawmakers to take immediate action to adopt driven policy solutions to end this violence and hold police accountable.”
National Police Accountability Project: “The central mission of NPAP is to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”
Bail Funds (Across The U.S.): “A collection of community resources for protestors around the country.”
Louisville Bail Fund: “The Louisville Community Bail Fund exists to not only bail out folks, but provide post-release support to get them from jail, fed, and to a situation of safety.”
DEFUND THE POLICE (Black Lives Matter):“Enough is enough. We call for radical, sustainable solutions that affirms the prosperity of Black lives throughout America. Sign the petition right now and call on our cities and states to #DefundThePolice.”
