FRANKFORT, Ky. — Breonna Taylor's family met Wednesday with Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
What You Need To Know
- Breonna Taylor's family meets with Attorney General Daniel Cameron
- It has been five months since Taylor was killed in her apartment by LMPD
- No status update was given on the case
- Family and attorney are confident the way the case is being investigated
Cameron's office said he met with Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer, Juniya Palmer, Bianca Austin, the family's attorneys, as well as Louisville activist, Christopher 2X from the Game Changers organization.
The statement didn't provide details about what was discussed in the meeting or if an announcement about charges would be coming soon. Instead, it said the meeting allowed Cameron to personally express his condolences to the family.
"The investigation remains ongoing, and our Office of Special Prosecutions continues to review all the facts in the case to determine the truth," said Cameron's office.
Tamika Palmer released a statement about the meeting.
"I’m glad the attorney general asked for this meeting. He actually seemed sincere and genuine, which I appreciated. We let him know how important it was for their office to get all the facts, to get the truth and to get justice for Breonna. We all deserve to know the whole truth behind what happened to my daughter. The attorney general committed to getting us the truth. We’re going to hold him up to that commitment. At the end of the day, we have to bridge the community and the police. That starts with the truth and justice. And we have to make real changes to keep this from happening to anyone else. The attorney general didn’t say which direction he’s pointing to, and I could be wrong, but after meeting him today, I’m more confident that the truth will come out and that justice will be served," Palmer's statement read.
Attorney Sam Aguiar said, "We feel better now having had the opportunity to meet with him. The ballistics and labs are important, so we understand the need for them. It’s frustrating that the police basically wasted two months investigating themselves in a one-sided manner. Had the case been turned over right away for an independent investigation, like it should have, then the testing would be complete and we wouldn’t be needing to wait for re-interviews right now. We’ll remain confident that the AG and the DOJ will do the right thing here, which is charging all the officers responsible for Breonna’s death, starting from the execution of a fraudulent search warrant and going all the way through the tactics in obstructing the investigation. "
Taylor was killed March 13 when Louisville Metro Police officers were serving a no-knock warrant for a drug search and battered down the door to the apartment she shared with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. Walker fired a gun and police returned fire, hitting and killing Taylor. There was no police body camera video of the shooting. Taylor's family says police had the wrong address on the warrant.
In May, Cameron was named a special prosecutor in the investigation. The office wouldn't say what process it would take for the investigation or how long it would take. Cameron's communications director Elizabeth Kuhn at the time said, "At the conclusion of the investigation, the office will review the evidence and take appropriate action.”
Because of Taylor's death, changes were made at LMPD. No-knock warrants were banned with "Breonna's Law" and one of the three officers involved in the Taylor shooting, Brett Hankison, was fired. Former Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad first announced his retirement after the Taylor shooting, but was fired following another LMPD-involved shooting on June 1 that killed David McAtee. Once again, there was no police body camera footage available for the McAtee shooting. Two other officers involved with Taylor shooting, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove remain on administrative reassignment.
Peaceful protests in downtown Louisville turned violent as anger about the shooting and officers escalated. The protests began at the end of May and continue today.
Taylor's death, like that of George Floyd, captured the attention of the nation. Activists and celebrities alike have called for action in the case. Rev. Jesse Jackson was joined by other celebrities in Louisville early in June to honor Taylor. Just this month, Oprah Winfrey focused the September issue of O the Magazine on Taylor and her case, marking the first time in the 20-year-history of the magazine the media mogul did not appear on the cover. Winfrey also purchased 26 billboards calling for justice for Breonna across the city of Louisville. Each billboard represents a year of Taylor's life.