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Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Wednesday announced that a grand jury brought charges against only one of the three police officers involved the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed in her apartment on March 13 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Brett Hankison, who was fired in June from the Louisville Metro Police Department, faces three felony counts after he was charged with wanton endangerment after shooting into an apartment next door. The grand jury did not find that Hankison fired directly into the apartment Taylor was in the night that she died.
A wanton endangerment charge is a class D felony and could carry a penalty of one to five years in prison.
The prosecutor in the case ruled that the two other officers that fired at Taylor, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, were justified in their use of force to protect themselves. The grand jury determined that none of the three officers involved in the shooting were criminally liable for the death of Taylor.
The news of the decision by the grand jury brought sadness and anger that the officers involved were not found liable for the death of Taylor. Players around the NBA reacted to the news on social media as Denver Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. found out during his media availability after practice.
Porter was visibility distraught upon learning the news.
I didn’t even know that; I don’t have Instagram, I don’t have Twitter. There are really no words for that. Everybody knows that’s not right. This is the first time I’m hearing about that but that’s heartbreaking. I know a lot of people have been doing a lot of stuff trying to get the justice that situation needs and to hear that happened is not right.
The recent acts of social injustice and police brutality across the U.S. have prompted players around the league to use their platform to condemn the actions and take a stand. Players have helped raise awareness on key social issues and have encouraged those listening to help create change.
The NBA and NBPA agreed in principle that the goal of the season restart would be to find tangible and sustainable ways to address racial inequality across the country following the deaths of Taylor, Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others.
The two sides agreed to create a coalition to help increase access to voting, promoting civic engagement and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform. Additionally, the league and TV partners have run commercials advocating for social justice.
Team governors, coaches and players met last month to discuss additional ways to help raise awareness for key issues and promote social equality in the United States. The league together with the players will work to enact several commitments and initiatives, including early voting.
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