Breonna Taylor did not get Justice

On Wednesday the Kentucky Grand Jury made their decision on Breonna Taylor’s case. No officers were charged with her death.

The ruling grants that the officers who shot Taylor used justified force to protect themselves. The 26-year-old EMT was sleeping when the officers burst into her home without announcing themselves as police. Her boyfriend Kenneth Walker was also present. According to his lawyer, upon seeing what appeared to be three intruders burst into his home, he fired one shot in self defense. The officers fired 20 in return. Eight of them hit Taylor.

Walker is a licensed firearm carrier. Reportedly his shot hit one officer in the leg. For this he was charged with assault and attempted murder. The chargers were later dropped. Since then, doubt has arisen as to whether it was even Walker’s bullet that hit the officer.

The three officers involved were Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove. According to attorney general Daniel Cameron, they fired six, 10 and 16 shots, respectively. Cosgrove is believed to have fired the fatal shot.

But only Hankinson was charged with wanton endangerment. He has been charged with firing shots, but not with killing Taylor. That means the shots that missed are the ones he faces consequences for.

Sam Aguair, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, noted a disparity in the endangerment charge.

The flagrant injustice sparked a new wave of protests in Louisville.

Earlier this month, Louisville awarded the family a $12million settlement in a wrongful death suit, which included some police reforms. However, as part of the settlement the city did not admit wrongdoing. The criminal case was what would determine if killing Taylor was wrong in the eyes of the state. And the answer was no.