Breonna Taylor's grieving mother says 'she never had faith in Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron' and blasts him for failing to take action against the 'terrorists' who shot her daughter- as the family demands he release the grand jury report
Breonna Taylor's grieving mother has said she 'never had faith' in Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and accused him of failing to take action against the 'terrorists' who killed her daughter after just one officer was charged in her fatal shooting.
Taylor's family responded to the grand jury's decision to indict only one cop with wanton endangerment charges on Wednesday, at a press conference in Louisville's Jefferson Square Park on Friday.
In an emotional written statement read aloud by her sister, Tamika Palmer said the controversial decision reassured her why she has no 'faith in the legal system.'
'The police and law were not made to protect us black and brown women. I knew Daniel Cameron would never do his job. The system as a whole has failed Breonna,' she said.
'The judge who signed the warrant failed her. The terrorists who broke down her door failed her. You didn't just rob me and my family, you robbed the world of a queen.'
Attorney Ben Crump and Breonna Taylor's family responded to the grand jury's decision in a press conference at Jefferson
Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer stood alongside the family attorney as they demanded justice for her daughter
Only one cop is being charged in relation to the police raid which killed Breonna Taylor , and not directly for killing her
Family attorney Ben Crump called on Cameron to release the transcripts from the grand jury so the public can know if there was anyone 'who gave a voice to Taylor.'
'Did he present any evidence on Breonna Taylor's behalf, or did he make a unilateral decision to put his thumb on the scales of justice to help try to exonerate and justify the killing of by these police officers?' Crump said.
Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear on Wednesday also urged Cameron to post online all the evidence and facts present to the grand jury that can be released without affecting the case against fired detective Brett Hankison.
'Everyone can and should be informed,' Beshear said. 'And those that are currently feeling frustration, feeling hurt, they deserve to know more,' he said.
During Wednesday's press conference, Cameron said he would not be publicly releasing the report on the indictment.
'Well, I am right now because there's a pending indictment, I think it is our practice, and because there's an ongoing FBI investigation, to revisit that question - but at this point I don't think it's appropriate for us to release any information,' he said.
Angry protesters have taken to the streets to demand justice in Louisville since Wednesday, when charges were filed against only one policeman involved in the controversial fatal shooting of Taylor, the 26-year-old black woman whose name has become a rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Detective Brett Hankison, who was fired in June, was charged by a grand jury with three counts of 'wanton endangerment' over shots he fired into apartments adjoining Taylor's home.
But neither Hankison nor the two officers who fired the shots that killed Taylor were charged in direct connection with her death.
'If Brett Hankison's behavior was wanton endangerment to people in neighboring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor's apartment too,' Crump said in a statement.
'In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder!'
A Jefferson County grand jury on Wednesday chose to indict only former detective Brett Hankinson on wanton endangerment charges. Sgt John Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, who fired shots at Taylor, were not indicted
Detective Joshua Jaynes was identified as the officer who had obtained the controversial 'no-knock' search warrant to Taylor's apartment that resulted in her death. Detective Myles Cosgrove is believed to have fired the fatal shot. Neither have been charged
In a follow-up statement, Crump's office said: 'Today's news falls far short of what constitutes justice.
'But by no means does it define this movement or this moment in our history.
'The Grand Jury may have denied Breonna justice, but this decision cannot take away her legacy as a loving, vibrant young Black woman who served on the front lines in the midst of a devastating pandemic.
'Make no mistake, we will keep fighting this fight in Breonna's memory, and we will never stop saying her name.'
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, following the announcement, and Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Taylor family, condemned the grand jury decision as 'outrageous and offensive.'