The blame for the death of Breonna Taylor has been laid on the police and the LMPD by many— officials, mainstream media, the justice system, others.
In the upcoming trials for Brett and the other officers, the DOJ prosecutors will argue that the police and LMPD must be held responsible for the crimes. Is this true? Shouldn’t some blame be assigned to Breonna and her boyfriends? The public perception must be balanced, not slanted.
Breonna’s mom, Tamika Palmer, has been quoted:
Palmer said Taylor was a young woman who adored her family above all else and who had made plans to succeed.
"She had a whole plan on becoming a nurse and buying a house and then starting a family. Breonna had her head on straight, and she was a very decent person," Palmer said. "She didn't deserve this."
And:
Taylor's family members said she was kind, hardworking and honest and that they were angry she was dead at age 26. …
"She really did not deserve to end her life so horrifically," Taylor's aunt, Bianca Austin, said in an interview.
Without a doubt Breonna had wonderful qualities, yet she also made the fatal mistake of dating men who were involved in drugs. This put her life in danger.
She was used by one boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, to assist in his trade by keeping the drug money. Less than three weeks before the raid, police received Glover’s bank records showing he used 3003 Springfield Dr., #4, as his mailing address. The raid included five residences. Cocaine was seized from one or more of these.
The other boyfriend who was with her the night of the tragedy, Kenneth Walker, told the police he had ‘smoked weed’ that evening. A forensic examination of his cell phone showed he was trafficking in marijuana and prescription medication. He stated to his mom on the phone that the police were at the door. He knew he was shooting at police officers.
These facts are online (currently) for anyone to read.
Breonna needed to distance herself from these men.
She knew it. She expressed her anxiety to Jamarcus Glover, and this conversation is documented. A love letter from Jamarcus found in her purse is an exhibit of the case.
Who can explain love? Its passion and intensity can twist our minds and ruin our lives, but should it be permitted to ruin the lives of those caught in the fray?
The mainstream media need to address the facts of the events of March, Friday the 13th, 2020, in the very early morning, that are in clear view. Instead, we are pointed to the DOJ charges. For example:
[T]he indictment alleges that several of Hankison’s bullets traveled through the wall of Taylor’s home and into the apartment unit occupied by her neighbors. Both counts allege that Hankison used a dangerous weapon, and that his conduct involved an attempt to kill.
What does that mean? It is wording to cause public opinion to turn against Brett. He shot to kill! Please remember: Brett shot to prevent the shooter from killing an officer.
He was found innocent of ‘wanton endangerment’ by a jury in a lengthy trial in the Jefferson County Circuit Court, so why is he being re-tried?
As well, in that trial it was brought out that two bullets that had entered the ceiling above Taylor’s were also found. They were determined not to have come from Brett's gun.
The blame game is emotional and irrational. An exhibit in Officer Kelly Goodlett’s report shows reputable sources that place Jamarcus as a resident of Breonna’s apartment less than a month prior to the incident, supporting the warrant to investigate her residence. It will be interesting to see how the DOJ handles that.
Ebony, ivory, and balancing the scales of justice
Breonna’s mom should stop insisting on vengeance.
Speaking for those in my immediate circle and many others, white parents have the same challenges. When our children ‘smoke weed,’ or make other bad choices that will boomerang, we grieve for their welfare as all parents do.
If we have a beloved child or grandchild who takes a wrong turn and ends up in trouble or dead, we are just like Tamika: We don’t love them any less and we remember the very best about them. We do the exact same for Breonna.
And if our family members are police officers, we expect all races to respect them for risking their lives to protect all races— just as Tamika would ask of us.
Though there are some who must be called on the carpet and removed from the force, most police deserve our thanks. Say their names!
The extensive and sincere effort made by the LMPD team on March 13, 2020, to
Stop the flow of narcotics in a special case in Louisville, to help put an end to the drugs that enslave and kill innocents;
Prepare a raid to effectively expose a narcotics ring without endangering residents of the areas under scrutiny (purpose of the early hour raid); and
Carry out the dangerous mission, which did succeed in some measure;
— is something in which we citizens can take pride. Let’s change the narrative!