Officers Who Fatally Shot Breonna Taylor Should Not Be Charged, Law Enforcement Experts Tell ‘USA Today’

The police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor should not face charges, law enforcement experts told USA Today.

The fatal shooting of Taylor on March 13 during a botched police raid has become a centerpiece of the growing national protests that arose in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis, with many calling for the Louisville, Kentucky, cops who fatally shot the 25-year-old woman in her home to face criminal charges for it.

While those involved in Floyd’s death have all been arrested, those in Taylor’s case have not yet, despite the national outcry. Jan Waddell, a defense lawyer who is Black, believes that the circumstances of the case do not warrant them to be arrested.

“The seemingly unending list of unarmed Black men who have been and continue to be gunned down by white police officers… does not and cannot justify the return of an indictment based on revenge rather than the facts of the case and the law,” Waddell told the news outlet.

The situation is complicated even for those in Taylor’s corner. The report noted that Sam Aguiar, a civil lawyer representing Taylor’s family, said that the officers had a legal right to return fire when Taylor’s boyfriend shot at them. Aguiar said that they continued firing long after the threat had subsided, ultimately killing Taylor.

Her boyfriend was initially charged with attempted murder for opening fire in response to what he believed to be a break-in, but charges were ultimately dropped. It had been disputed whether the cops who carried out the no-knock warrant had properly identified themselves, with Taylor’s family saying the did not.

As The Inquisitr reported, there has been other fallout related to the botched raid, including the firing of the officer Brett Hankison. No-knock warrants like the one carried out prior to Taylor’s death, which have long come under scrutiny, have also been banned in Louisville following her shooting.

Despite these other actions, there is no indication that any officers would be criminally charged. A decision not to prosecute could stoke more outrage. As The Inquisitr reported, a petition calling for those involved in her fatal shooting to be charged surpassed 10 million signatures, becoming the second-largest in the history of the petition website Change.org — just behind one seeking justice for Floyd following his death.

A number of high-profile celebrities and organizations have joined in calling for justice for Breonna as well, including LeBron James.