Source: Associated Press

A Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor during a drug raid gone wrong, with prosecutors saying Wednesday that two officers who fired their weapons at the Black woman were justified in using force to protect themselves.

The only charges brought by the grand jury were three counts of wanton endangerment against fired Officer Brett Hankison for shooting into Taylor’s neighbors’ homes during the raid on the night of March 13.

Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by officers who entered her home on a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation.

Regarding the disappointment of those who wanted criminal charges brought in Taylor’s death, he remarked, “The decision before my office as the special prosecutor in this case was not to decide if the loss of Ms. Taylor’s life was a tragedy. The answer to that is unequivocally yes.”

A termination letter sent to him by interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the white officer had violated procedures by showing “Extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “Wantonly and blindly” shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor’s apartment in March.

On Sept. 15, the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, agreeing to pay her $12 million and enact police reforms.

The release in late May of a 911 call by Taylor’s boyfriend marked the beginning of days of protests in Louisville, fueled by her shooting and the killing of Floyd while at the hands of police in Minneapolis on May 25. Several prominent African American celebrities including Oprah and Beyoncé have joined those urging that the officers be charged.

Full Story @ AP