Louisville settles Breonna Taylor wrongful death lawsuit for $12 million

Breonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer speaks at the Lincoln Memorial during last month's "Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks" in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Breonna Taylor has been settled by the city of Louisville. 

The 26-year-old emergency medical technician was killed by police after they executed a no-knock warrant on her apartment the night of March 13. 

Read More: Virginia passes police reform, no-knock warrant bills in wake of Taylor death

According to the New York Times, the city and Taylor’s family reached a $12 million agreement. Sam Aguilar, the family’s attorney, confirmed a multi-million dollar settlement to CNN

“The city’s response, in this case, has been delayed and it’s been frustrating,” he said, “but the fact that they’ve been willing to sit down and talk significant reform was a step in the right direction and hopefully a turning point.”

Greg Fischer, the mayor of Louisville, is expected to announce the settlement today in a joint press conference with the family’s attorneys. 

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Despite the settlement, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has yet to announce whether charges will be filed against the three officers involved. Two of them, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly, were placed on paid leave in May. The other, Brett Hankison, was fired in late June for “wantonly and blindly” firing 10 rounds into Taylor’s apartment. 

“My office is continually asked about a timeline regarding the investigation into the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor. An investigation, if done properly, cannot follow a specific timeline,” Cameron tweeted last week.

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In June, Louisville’s city council unanimously passed an ordinance called “Breonna’s Law,” which banned no-knock search warrants. At the time, Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, told CNN that her daughter “would have been amazed to see the world changing.” 

“With the passage of the Breonna Taylor Law,” Palmer attorney Benjamin Crump said Taylor will “be saving lives forever.” 

Read More: Yandy Smith calls out ‘inhumane conditions’ during Breonna Taylor protest arrest

Taylor’s death has been a galvanizing force in the ongoing fight against police brutality in the U.S. In response to its backlash, many states have either written or passed bills that aim to ban no-knock warrants. 

In addition to a “substantial” settlement with Taylor’s family, the agreement is expected to include several policing reforms, from the process of gaining search warrants to seeking drug and alcohol testing of officers involved in shootings.

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