Beyoncé is demanding “swift and decisive action” in charging the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor in an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general.
The music superstar addressed her open letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on her website Sunday. She cited it has been three months since 26-year-old Taylor was killed in her Louisville, Kentucky home on March 13 during a botched drug raid. theGrio previously reported that Taylor, who worked at two local hospitals, was shot eight times as police were serving a no-knock warrant related to a narcotics investigation.
READ MORE: ‘Breonna’s Law’ passes unanimously by Louisville city council
Breonna’s Law was recently passed in her honor which bans the use of no-knock warrants.
Bre, this is for you! 🙏🏾 #BreonnasLaw not only BANS no-knock warrants in Louisville, but also requires the use of body cameras by anyone executing a search warrant. Thank you all for your support in advocating for justice!! Let this be part of #BreonnaTaylor’s legacy. #SayHerName pic.twitter.com/yBozQ6QJBM
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 12, 2020
Beyoncé wants further action, declaring that” Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison must be held accountable for their actions,” of that day.
“Don’t let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy,” she wrote.
“With every death of a black person at the hands of the police, there are two real tragedies: the death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it. This is your chance to end that pattern. Take swift and decisive action in charging the officers. The next months cannot look like the last three.”
The Grammy award-winning “Freedom” singer also noted inaccuracies in the official write up of the incident.
“Their incident report states that Ms Taylor suffered no injuries – yet we know she was shot at least eight times,” Beyoncé wrote.
“The LMPD officers claim they announced themselves before forcing their way into Ms Taylor’s apartment – but her boyfriend who was with her, as well as several neighbors, all say that this is untrue.”
READ MORE: Women in Hollywood demand justice for Breonna Taylor on Instagram
Beyoncé also highlighted the toll that Taylor’s death has had on her family. She explained that they had not been able to grieve and process their feelings.
“Instead, they have been working tirelessly to rally the support of friends, their community, and the country to obtain justice for Breonna.”
Her open letter to Cameron listed ways in which he could demonstrate “the value of a Black woman’s life.” She wanted his office to use their power to charge the officers, commit to transparency in the investigation and investigate the LMPD’s response to her death in addition to the “pervasive practices” that have led to the other deaths of other unarmed Black people.
This past week, influential women in Hollywood such as Kerry Washington, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Cardi B, Kelly Rowland, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Ellen DeGeneres posted a video amplifying what happened to her. They flooded IG timelines on Wednesday with a video message asking “do you know what happened to Breonna Taylor?”. It was done in partnership with Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer and activist Tamika Mallory.
Beyoncé’s sister, Solange, has also been vocal about justice for Taylor. She accused Governor Andy Beshear of sweeping the incident under the rug and covering up the crimes of the officers who fatally shot Taylor in a tweet earlier this month.
Beyoncé also brought awareness to Taylor on June 5 as she paid tribute to the slain woman on what would have been her 27th birthday. She captioned her post as a call to action for Taylor which sent users to a petition demanding justice for Taylor.
READ MORE: Solange calls for officer’s arrest in Breonna Taylor’s death
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