Justice is imperative for Breonna Taylor in order to break previous precedents

On May 28, 2020, protestors walked the streets of downtown Louisville, Kentucky to demand justice for 26 year old Breonna Taylor. They shouted “Breonna, Breonna, Breonna!” in hopes of serving her justice by arresting the 3 police officers involved at her death. Photo Courtesy of U.S. News

By Ella Mahan

Opinion Editor

An African-American woman by the name of Breonna Taylor was shot and killed on March 13, 2020. This fatal incident has caused protests across the country. It has gained a lot of media attention along the way, as case decisions regarding charges for the police officers involved in the shooting spread across the nation. Brett Hankison, the head officer of the investigation into the alleged drugs in Taylor’s home, plead not guilty for the three wanton endangerment charges he was facing, which are charges for when someone’s life is put into danger by an officer. The three of the officers should all receive charges for involuntary manslaughter.

On Sept. 23, Hankison was charged with three counts of first degree wanton endangerment. He was not charged for shooting Taylor, but for firing recklessly into an apartment next door. Taylor’s neighbors were put in danger, as reckless bullets flew into their apartments. The other two officers, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, were not charged at all. Hankison should be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the unintentional killing of Taylor through reckless actions that show lack of sympathy or concern for the life of another human being. Hankison did not go into the investigation attempting to kill Taylor; however, through lack of thought and sympathy for her life, he ended up shooting and killing her. This goes hand in hand with Kentucky’s definition of involuntary manslaughter, which provides the distinction between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter in the intent to kill, and whether or not it was intentional.

Hankison argued that he should be found not guilty for the wanton endangerment charge because he had a right to self-defense; however, he did not act out of defense. Taylor did not once disobey his orders nor was she even holding a weapon or threatening him. Although Walker did fire a warning shot when unidentified intruders entered his home, he purposefully fired the shot at the floor and nowhere near the officers.

Taylor was not the suspect of the investigation the policemen were carrying out, nor was her boyfriend. One single, unidentified person claimed that a possible suspect had used Taylor’s address as a place to pick up a package, according to the New York Times. The suspect of the investigation, an ex-boyfriend of Taylor’s named Jamarcus Glover, did not live at that address, according to NBC News. The intensity of this one claim grew into a deadly investigation. Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, heard his door get kicked in by the police officers at around 1 a.m., according to NBC News. The visit was a complete surprise, as the police had used a no-knock warrant.

Taylor never resisted the police’s demands, which is a key reason why they must be charged. She also did not possess the alleged illegal substances in her home, nor did she fire a single shot. For these reasons, the policemen must face charges for taking Taylor’s life. Taylor’s actions gave them no reason to act out of “self-defense.” The lack of justice and punishment from the criminal justice system is outrageous, and stems from the systematic racism that has driven previous court cases and outcomes. The policemen on scene at the time of Taylor’s death, Mattingly, Hankison and Cosgrove, must all be charged in order for the injustice of her death to be recognized. This will also hopefully provide Taylor’s friends, family, and protestors with the necessary closure for her death.

No-knock warrants are dangerous and should not be signed by judges because they can result in reckless behavior by law enforcement, such as the death of Taylor. The no-knock warrant for Taylor’s apartment ended with the death of an innocent woman. Some cities, towns and states, such as Louisville, have recognized the danger that stems from these warrants and have banned no-knock warrants for investigation use. The ban of these warrants in Louisville recognizes Taylor’s life by hopefully preventing more reckless actions in the future.

Taylor’s killers must be charged for their inhumane acts of violence toward Taylor. The police officers had no motive to take Breonna’s life, nor were they acting out of self defense, and should be tried for involuntary manslaughter.