A bust sculpture honoring police shooting victim Breonna Taylor was destroyed by vandals over the weekend, leading to an investigation by Oakland police, according to reports.
The memorial, installed two weeks ago in the center of Latham Square, was destroyed in several places on Saturday, reported ABC affiliate KGO-TV.
The bust includes a sign that says, “Say her name, Breonna Taylor,” said the station.
“At first I was shocked, shocked, hurt and angry,” said artist Leo Carson, who created the sculpture, to the outlet.
“Just a lot of emotions,” he said. “It looked like I was attacked personally and they also attacked Breonna Taylor and the BLM movement.”
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT technician, was shot and killed at her home in Louisville, Kentucky, during a failed operation on March 13.
Taylor’s death and George Floyd’s police custody death in Minneapolis on May 25 were some of the catalysts that sparked massive protests from the Black Lives Matter around the world, including in the Bay Area city.
Oakland police said in a statement that a report was made on the Taylor prison vandalism and that the police were investigating the incident, Mercury News said.
Carson said he paid for the statue “out of my own pocket”.
He hopes to raise enough money to repair the statue and have it browned to make it more durable. He launched a GoFundMe page with a goal of $ 5,000.