The Breonna Taylor settlement explained
Family receives millions in settlement over police killing
The Context
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was killed by police in a botched drug raid six months ago.
Taylor became a symbol of the #blacklivesmatter protests that swept the U.S. over summer.
There were national calls for the police officers involved in Taylor’s death to be charged with murder.
The settlement
Soon after she was killed, Taylor’s family sued the city of Louisville, Kentucky for wrongful death.
The city’s mayor has looked to settle the case in hopes it would calm tensions amid nightly, sometimes violent protests.
“My administration is not waiting to move ahead with needed reforms to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.”
Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher on Tuesday.
What Taylor’s family get What Louisville gets
$12 million USD - Did not need to acknowledge any
Agreement for more police wrongdoing as part of the settlement
oversight, including early flagging - Hopes to calm tensions and reduce
of police who have used excessive force protests in the city
in the past
The criminal case
Taylor’s family and the activists who have been protesting daily since her death don’t think the settlement has done enough.
Soon after the settlement was announced, protesters gathered to call for the police involved in Taylor’s death to be charged with murder.
The state’s Attorney-General is currently conducting an inquiry into charges.