Source: Breonna Taylor / Breonna Taylor
At a time when the Black community is demanding answers for the death of Black Americans at the hand of police, the murder of 26-year old Breonna Taylor has begun getting the microscopic treatment and the results so far are disheartening.
On Wednesday (June 10), the Louisville Metro Police Department released the incident report for the night of March 13, when three plainclothes officers used a battering ram to break into Breonna Taylor’s apartment, where she was shot by LMPD eight times and killed immediately. Despite the evidence from the homicide, the report is almost blank.
According to a local publication, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the police document states Taylor’s name, a case number, and the time and date of the shooting, but leaves blank details already made public, including her date of birth. Also blank is the section for injuries, while the section for “forced entry” is marked as a no, despite the use of a battering ram.
The four-page report lists the time, date, case number, incident location, and the victim’s name — Breonna Shaquelle Taylor — as well as the fact that she is a 26-year-old black female.
But it redacts Taylor’s street number, apartment number, and date of birth — all of which have been widely reported. The report also lists her injuries as “none,” even though she was shot at least eight times and died on her hallway floor in a pool of blood, according to attorneys for her family.
Despite the lack of overall information, it’s the lack of information in the most important portion of the report — the “narrative” of events that spells out what happened March 13 — has only two words: “PIU investigation.”
And the rest of the report has no information filled in at all.
“I read this report and have to ask the mayor, the police chief, and the city’s lawyers: Are you kidding? This is what you consider being transparent to taxpayers and the public?” Richard A. Green, editor of The Courier-Journal proposed.
While the case is being investigated by both the FBI and LMPD, protesters are calling for the arrest of the officers who killed Taylor, who would have turned 27 last week. The three officers involved in the incident — Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison (who is also facing a sexual assault investigation) — have been placed on administrative leave, but remain on the force.
HipHopWired Radio
Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…
