87 people charged with felonies after Breonna Taylor protest at attorney general's house
Eighty-seven people were arrested and charged with a felony after a Tuesday protest on the lawn of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Louisville Metro Police Department said in a statement. The protesters were demanding that charges be filed against the officers responsible for the March shooting death of Breonna Taylor.
The protest began Tuesday evening near Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky, CBS affiliate WLKY-TV reports. The protesters marched from the school to Cameron's home, with many of the demonstrators sitting and standing on Cameron's lawn. The protesters, who were chanting slogans demanding justice for Taylor, were asked to leave by the police, but many chose to stay. Those who did were arrested without incident, according to WLKY-TV.
"In total, 87 people were arrested," LMPD said in their statement. "Due to their refusal to leave the property and their attempts to influence the decision of the Attorney General with their actions, each person was charged with Intimidating a Participant in a Legal Process (Class D felony), Disorderly Conduct 2nd Degree (Class B misdemeanor), and Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree. (Violation)."
Cameron said his office will "continue with a thorough and fair investigation" into Taylor's death and said the protest "will not alter our pursuit of the truth."
"The stated goal of today's protest at my home was to 'escalate,'" Cameron added. "That is not acceptable and only serves to further division and tension within our community. Justice is not achieved by trespassing on private property, and it's not achieved through escalation. It's achieved by examining the facts in an impartial and unbiased manner. That is exactly what we are doing and will continue to do in this investigation."
Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills and Porsha Williams, from the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," were among those arrested.
The Louisville Metro Council opted Tuesday night to launch an investigation into Mayor Greg Fischer, his administration and the city's police department, WLKY reports. All 11 members of the Government Oversight Committee voted to approve a probe of several issues related to Taylor's death, the Louisville Police Department's handling of ongoing protests and other matters.
Taylor, 26, was killed on March 13 when officers entered her home looking for illegal drugs. Officials claimed the officers knocked on the door and announced themselves, and only started shooting after they were "immediately met by gunfire" from Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. But Taylor's family said in a lawsuit that the officers did not identify themselves and that Walker — a licensed gun owner — thought someone was trying to break in.
In the wake of Taylor's death, Louisville passed a ban on "no-knock" warrants, which allow police to enter a home without first announcing their presence. The bill was named after Taylor.
Brett Hankison, one of the officers involved in Taylor's death, was fired on June 23, more than three months after Taylor was killed. Two other officers have been placed on administrative leave.
Victoria Albert contributed reporting.