At least 7 shot in Louisville as protesters call for justice in Breonna Taylor case
At least seven people were shot Thursday night in Louisville during demonstrations calling for justice in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The Louisville Police Department issued a statement to CBS affiliate WLKY-TV confirming at least one person was in critical condition.
"There have been some arrests," the department added.
"No officers discharged their service weapons," police spokesman Sgt. Lamont Washington wrote in an email to The Associated Press. Washington said all seven people who were shot are civilians.
Hundreds took to the streets calling for the officers involved in Taylor's death to be arrested. The 26-year-old EMT was asleep in her Kentucky apartment just after midnight on March 13 when police entered with a "no-knock" search warrant in a drug investigation and opened fire, killing her.
“No Justice, No Peace”
— Shaquille Lord (@ShaqWLKY) May 29, 2020
Hundreds have gathered to protest over Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in an LMPD raid back in March. Protestors here have told me they want the officers arrested. Currently they are on administrative reassignment as the investigation continues pic.twitter.com/7n8Sma0CjA
A lawsuit has been filed by the family accusing the three officers involved of wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence. Louisville also changed its "no-knock" search warrant policy in the wake of Taylor's death.
Taylor's family issued a statement Thursday night that was shared by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer "urging protesters to be peaceful, go home and keep fighting for truth."
A message from Breonna Taylor’s family urging protestors to be peaceful, go home and keep fighting for truth. pic.twitter.com/if5MH5UcCW
— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) May 29, 2020
"Thank you so much for saying Breonna's name tonight. We are not going to stop until we get justice but we should stop tonight before people get hurt," Juniyah Palmer, Taylor's sister, said. "Please go home, be safe, and be ready to keep fighting. We appreciate you more than you know it. Please say her name. We will get justice for Breonna."
The protests occurred the same night as thousands took to the streets across the country calling for justice in the fatal arrest of George Floyd. The 46-year-old black man died after a white police officer kept his knee on his neck, despite video evidence showing he repeatedly told police he couldn't breathe.