A protest in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday night, on the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death, was declared an illegal assembly, according to police.
Some protesters, “while armed,” blocked vehicle traffic and forced drivers to turn around, the Louisville Police Department wrote in a Twitter message.
“Those who refuse to disperse will be arrested,” said the police message.
The tweet included a photo of protesters gathered along the Ohio’s waterfront in the city.
No arrests were made until 11 pm, police spokesman Dwight Mitchell told Louisville FOX WDRB-TV. He added that the police did not have to use tear gas or any other chemical agent in the crowd.
BREONNA TAYLOR’S MOTHER ARCHIVES COMPLAINTS AGAINST 6 LOUISVILLE POLICE
A woman who was seen handcuffed by the police was later released, according to FOX station.
Early in the evening, the mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer, thanked the crowd for being at peace during the weekend’s demonstrations.
Protesters in Louisville, Kentucky, call for justice for Breonna Taylor, September 25, 2020. (Associated Press)
“Breonna’s death devastated his family, friends and co-workers and deeply affected our community and our country,” said the mayor, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. “Her death, along with those of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and many others, serve as painful reminders for black Americans of the injustice, discrimination and violence they have endured for centuries – and often still do today.”
President Biden also posted a message on Twitter, acknowledging the anniversary of Taylor’s death.
“Breonna Taylor’s death was a tragedy, a blow to her family, her community and the United States,” wrote Biden. “As we continue to mourn for her, we must move forward to pass significant police reform in Congress. I remain committed to signing a historic reform project in law ”.
The protests were held in Louisville and other cities in the United States as protesters pressured authorities to prosecute police officers involved in an operation at Taylor’s home on March 13, 2020, which resulted in the 26-year-old woman being shot dead.
“Until a jury trial tells us that these officers are not guilty, there is always time to indict, arrest and convict the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor,” lawyer Lonita Baker, one of the lawyers involved in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family said at an afternoon rally in Jefferson Square Park, according to the WDRB.
This undated photo shows Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. (Courtesy of the Taylor Family lawyer, Sam Aguiar, via AP)
During the operation, Taylor was shot six times and died in her hallway while police confronted her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who told authorities he shot the police, thinking the officers were intruders trying to break into the house.
Walker has been cleared of wrongdoing and three policemen linked to the operation have been dismissed, but none have faced criminal charges, the WDRB reported.
Walker filed a federal lawsuit against the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department on Friday, ABC News reported.
Four days earlier, Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, filed a complaint against six police officers in connection with her daughter’s death, alleging police misconduct.
The complaint names the sergeant. Kyle Meany, Det. Anthony James, Det. Mike Nobles, Sergeant Amanda Seelye, Det. Mike Campbell and Lieutenant Shawn Hoover.
Ex-Det. Brett Hankison was accused of rampant danger last September for shooting at an apartment close to Taylor’s and showing “extreme indifference to human life”.
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A man, a pregnant woman and a child were inside the other apartment at the time, officials said.
In September, Taylor’s family reached a $ 12 million settlement with the city in a separate legal case. The terms included the city’s promise to make changes to police policies and procedures.
Louisville police told Fox News that the case is still under investigation and they take Palmer’s continuing concerns seriously.
“The department gives the highest priority to conduct thorough and impartial investigations, and complaints received from Ms. Palmer’s lawyer are no exception,” the LMPD told Fox News in a statement. “We are committed to being as transparent as possible within the limits of the limitations outlined by Commonwealth law.”