LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been almost two years since Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police during a drug-related investigation. Ex-LMPD officer Brett Hankison was found not guilty earlier this week on three charges of wanton endangerment for shooting into a neighboring apartment. On Friday, Louisville activists were back in Jefferson Square Park demanding accountability.
Nearly two years later, protestors honk and continue to say Breonna Taylor’s name. Chris Wells, a Louisville activist and organizer, is back in Jefferson Square Park with several other local activists. This time, they’re demanding accountability from Louisville’s criminal justice system. It comes after ex-LMPD officer Brett Hankison was found not guilty on three wanton endangerment charges.
“This city has been through a lot in the last three years, it’s just been through a lot. But everyday it’s something else,” Wells said.
While Hankison was on the stand, a judge asked him why he did it.
“To protect myself, and more importantly the primary function at that time when I returned fire it was to protect fellow officers stuck in that breezeway,” Hankison said.
Friday’s protestors say everybody had ‘all eyes on Kentucky’ and they were let down. D. Garrett, a Louisville activist, was also present in the 2020 protest and is still present for the 2022 protests.
“It hurts we gotta come out here and protest just to think and just to have a little bit of hope and that we’re going to get a form of justice. What happened yesterday, we saw Brett Hankison lie under oath,” Garrett said.
Protestors were joined by Shameka Parrish-Wright, a 2022 Louisville mayoral candidate who is advocating for a leadership change.
“Yesterday is another example of why we need better leadership, why Breonna’s door, her neighbors’ walls should’ve never had damage in the first place because those warrants were bogus,” said Parrish-Wright.
The rally turned into a caravan, making a final stop at the ‘Say Their Names’ mural, which features Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Sandra Bland and several more people who were killed at the hands of law enforcement.
Moments after protestors made their way to the ‘Say Their Names’ mural on N. 11th and W. Main St., a car entered the intersection where protestors stood. It was quickly resolved with a discussion and Louisville activist Amber Brown was quick to reel people back in as to why they’re saying Breonna Taylor’s name.
“And I really want y’all to start thinking about what justice means to you when it’s not inside the criminal justice system. What does justice mean?” Brown said.
Protestors said they’d like to meet with Mayor Greg Fischer to talk about what accountability looks like for Breonna Taylor’s death.