Breonna Taylor's Family Has Received a $12 Million Settlement from Louisville
Celebrity PSA Demands Justice for Breonna Taylor
Celebrities including Kerry Washington, Alicia Keys, and Gabrielle Union promoted actionable ways to demand justice for Breonna Taylor in a new video that spotlights Taylor's mother.
The city of Louisville has settled Breonna Taylor's wrongful death lawsuit for $12 million, according to CNN.
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was killed by police in March, after Louisville Metro Police officers broke down the door to fatally shot her during a "no-knock" warrant in a narcotics investigation the night of March 13. Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit afterward, claiming that the officers "did not knock or identify themselves prior to entering Breonna’s home."
The family's attorney, Sam Aguilar, confirmed the settlement to CNN, telling the outlet, "The city's response in this case has been delayed and it's been frustrating, but the fact that they've been willing to sit down and talk significant reform was a step in the right direction and hopefully a turning point."
As of now, none of the officers involved in her death — Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Brett Hankinson and Myles Cosgrove — have been charged with a crime, though Hankinson was fired in late June for "wantonly and blindly" firing 10 rounds into her apartment.
Taylor's death, along with that of George Floyd's, who was also killed at the hands of police, led to months of ongoing Black Lives Matter protests globally.
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The New York Times reported that the FBI and Kentucky state authorities are both investigating the shooting.
Until Freedom, a social justice organization that has protested in Louisville, released a statement to CNN following the news of the settlement, writing, "No amount of money will bring back Breonna Taylor."
"We see this settlement as the bare minimum you can do for a grieving mother," the group wrote. "The city isn't doing her any favors. True justice is not served with cash settlements. We need those involved in her murder to be arrested and charged. We need accountability. We need justice."
