Dear John,
A young Black woman was murdered in cold blood while she slept.
At 12:40 am on March 13th, officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department broke through the front door of Breonna Taylor’s home with no warning. Breonna and her boyfriend were asleep in their bed. The police were at the wrong house, but that didn’t stop them from firing 20 or more bullets towards Breonna and her boyfriend, killing Breonna.
The person the police were seeking was more than 10 miles away and had already been arrested that morning.
Now, the police department and the commonwealth attorney are conspiring to pass off the invasion and murder as a routine drug raid -- falsely claiming Breonna was a “suspect” even though she had done nothing wrong.
Today, we’re standing in solidarity with our allies at Color of Change and Black people across the country who are fighting for justice to hold these officers accountable for the death of Breonna Taylor. We need you to help win this fight!
Tell the Louisville Mayor: All officers who murdered Breonna Taylor must be held accountable!
The officers who murdered Breonna have had zero consequences. No loss of their jobs, no charges have been filed -- even though they took the life of an innocent woman!
Let’s be clear -- Breonna Taylor and Kenneth Walker were within the comfort of their own home, sleeping peacefully in their bed. They had committed no crime. The person the police were seeking had already been arrested.
Yet public officials in Louisville are diligently trying to cover their tracks to spin a web of lies to defend their bloodthirsty police force. More than two months after the murder, there has still been no accountability.
The war on Black people must come to an end. Racist cops cannot continue to escape consequences for their heinous actions. This starts with the Louisville Mayor, Greg Fisher, firing, as well as bringing charges, against the offending officers.
Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor: Sign now to make public officials secure justice for Black people!
Unfortunately, Breonna Taylor’s death is not an isolated case. She is one of many tragedies in a long history of Black people murdered by oppressive police officers. George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Aubrey, and many more are the unfortunate victims of a corrupt, racist law enforcement.
We know people power can lead to accountability. After more than 3.5 million people across the country signed petitions, and thousands took to the streets in protest of George Floyd’s murder, Minneapolis officials announced yesterday that they would charge all four police officers involved and increased the charges on the officer who killed him.
Now, we’re seeing promising signs for bringing Breonna Taylor’s killers to justice. The FBI is investigating. But that won’t necessarily lead to charges -- and even charges will not bring an end to the violence against Black people. It is one small, much needed step in holding law enforcement accountable for their ongoing violence towards the Black community.
We cannot give up hope. We must use our collective voice to demand change and demand justice!
We need 50,000 more signatures: Sign the petition to demand justice for Breonna Taylor!
Standing with you,
Liz Butler,
Vice president of organizing and strategic alliances,
Friends of the Earth
