Councilmember McDuffie’s Statement on the Department of Justice’s Decision to Charge Four Current and Former Louisville Police Officers with Federal Crimes Related to Breonna Taylor’s Killing and the Sentencing of Brittney Griner in Russia

For Immediate Release: Thursday, August 4, 2022
Contact: Laisha Dougherty, 202-724-8028, [email protected]

Washington, D.C. — Today, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie released the following statement on the Department of Justice’s decision to charge four current and former Louisville police officers with federal crimes related to Breonna Taylor’s killing and the sentencing of Brittney Griner in Russia:

I applaud the Department of the Justice for charging four current and former Louisville officers with federal crimes for the civil rights offenses that originated with the falsification of a search warrant that led to the killing of Breonna Taylor, as well as unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force, and obstruction offenses. Although this decision will not bring back Breonna Taylor, it is my hope that Breonna’s family will find some measure of relief in the Department of Justice’s pursuit of accountability for the individuals responsible for her tragic killing.

Additionally, at nearly the same time the Department of Justice announced this decision, a court sentenced Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for cannabis possession in Russia. I stand with the nearly 1,200 Black women of #WinWithBlackWomen who have called on the Biden administration to act with urgency and do all that it can to ensure that Brittney is safely returned home to her family as soon as possible.

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