[Breonna Taylor\Racial Policing]
LDF’s Sherrilyn Ifill: “Breonna Taylor was entitled to be treated as a hero. Instead, her life was taken from her in a killing that warrants the close scrutiny of an independent, transparent investigation.”
Photo: YouTube
Essential EMT worker Breonna Taylor murdered in her home by racist policing with their “no-knock” warrant.
The following statement regarding the Louisville police killing of EMT worker Breonna Taylor was released by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
On March 13, 26-year-old emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor was brutally killed in her own apartment after being shot at least eight times by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers, who entered her residence unannounced in the middle of the night as they executed a search warrant at the wrong home. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is deeply troubled by the senseless police killing of yet another Black woman in her own home. We join calls for a thorough and transparent investigation of this shooting and of the LMPD’s use of force more broadly, especially considering the department’s history of excessive force and racially-biased policing incidents.
“Breonna Taylor was entitled to be treated as a hero. Instead, her life was taken from her in a killing that warrants the close scrutiny of an independent, transparent investigation,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel. “Ms. Taylor’s family, her community, and our entire country deserve to understand how her life was taken — and to have those who killed this exceptional, brilliant young woman held accountable.”
Tragically, Ms. Taylor’s senseless, police-involved killing is not an isolated incident. Over the past several months alone, we have witnessed the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Sean Reed at the hands of current and former law enforcement officials. Police violence has resulted in the loss of countless Black lives — and this violence has ripple effects throughout entire communities, profoundly impacting their welfare and sense of security. It is imperative that the officers and departments that perpetuate this brutality are held accountable for their actions, and that meaningful policing reform occurs.
Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
