Breonna Taylor: Fears of anger on the streets as officer indicted for 'wanton endangerment' over shooting
For six months, the death of Breonna Taylor has ignited demands for racial justice across America.Here in Louisville, her hometown and Kentucky’s biggest city, there has been a vigil in her memory for more than 100 straight days.Along with George Floyd, the African-American man choked to death by a police officer on the streets of Minneapolis, the killing of Ms Taylor was a defining moment in this summer’s protest movement.
Now a Grand Jury has just indicted one of the officers who opened fire during a raid with three counts of "wanton endangerment", a much less serious charge than murder or manslaughter which many people had called for.
The officer, Brett Hankinson, had already been sacked by the police department.
There was no mention in the Grand Jury's deliberations of two other officers who had also fired in the raid that night.
Sergeant John Mattingly, and Detective Myles Cosgrove remain on full pay pending the investigation.
Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old emergency room technician.
She was at home in Louisville when police stormed the apartment while executing a drugs raid.
Taylor’s friend, Kenneth Walker, believing an intruder was in the flat, opened fire, wounding an officer. The police returned fire with more than 20 bullets, killing Ms Taylor.
Importantly, Mr Walker had a legal right to his firearm; there were no drugs in the apartment; and the whole police raid was based on faulty intelligence.Tensions have been high in Louisville throughout the summer.
I was here just over two weeks ago when multiple militias descended on the city in a show of force.Not only did white militias deploy to "protect" the city - in fact, they were a provocative and incendiary presence - but a new all-black militia also patrolled a suburb of Louisville.
It was a glimpse into what could go wrong of violence gathers momentum in the coming days.
Tonight, the Mayor of Louisville has imposed a 9pm curfew.
Police leave has been cancelled, and the downtown area of the city is barricaded with concrete.
Most of the shops, offices, and restaurants are boarded up.
There is a tense atmosphere on the streets.
The fear now: this decision will once again unleash the anger and frustration felt by so many.