An amended lawsuit filed by Breonna Taylor‘s mother claims that the police raid that killed her daughter was connected to a political plan to clear the neighborhood for real estate development.
Taylor was killed in March when police broke down her door while executing a warrant for a narcotics investigation. The police shot her eight times. Her mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit in April. The police officers in the raid have not been arrested, but Louisville has banned no-knock raids.
Taylor’s family attorney, Ben Crump, said in a statement that the police officers did not have probable cause to enter the home.
“The officers who robbed Breonna of her life — and Tamika Palmer of her daughter — exhibited outrageous, reckless, willful, wanton and unlawful conduct,” Crump said. “As a consequence, the city lost one of its most precious essential frontline workers, who risked her life daily to save her fellow residents in a pandemic. This is a grievous offense against Breonna, her family, and the greater Louisville community.”
The amended lawsuit was filed on July 5th in Jefferson Circuit court said that Taylor’s death was the “culmination of radical political and police conduct.” The Louisville Metro Police Department declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing.
The lawsuit adds political reasons in the amended version, saying that the city was motivated to remove Taylor’s boyfriend’s house to add a new development. “One of the primary roadblocks to this unit and the real estate development project was an ex-boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who rented a home on Elliott Avenue,” the lawsuit alleges.
Read all our coverage on the protests against racism in One Green Planet:
- #BlackLivesMatter: 10 Inspiring Black Voices Diversifying the Environmental Movement
- #BlackLivesMatter: Victory! NY Repeals 50-A Requiring Full Disclosure of Police Misconduct
- #BlackLivesMatter: Louisville Bans “No-Knock” Raids After Breonna Taylor Was Killed
- #BlackLivesMatter: Killing Black Americans is a Public Health and Human Rights Crisis
- Petition: Justice for Breonna Taylor, Black Woman Killed by Police in her Own Home
Here’s what you can do:
Many organizations like Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, and the NAACP are working to empower black Americans and achieve justice for those impacted by racist systems.
Also, remember to register to vote if you haven’t already. This is one of the simplest ways to make your voice heard as a citizen.Here are some resources for you:
Places to Donate:
- Donate to Black Lives Matter here.
- Get involved with your local BLM chapter: The full list is here or start your own.
- Many protestors are getting arrested and being held. Donate to bail funds in your city, here or here.
- HBCUBuzz has a listing of lawyers and legal resources for protestors, organized by state.
- Resources and donations by the National Police Accountability Project.
- Learn about Campaign Zero, which works to end police violence in America.
- The New York Times has put together an anti-racist reading list.
- National Black Bailout Fund, which works towards ending systems of mass incarceration and freeing imprisoned black mothers.
- Visit Louisville Community Bail Fund to contribute towards bail for protesters in Louisville.
Petitions to Sign:
- Justice for George Floyd
- Petition to end medical racism
- Justice for Breonna Taylor
- Justice for Ahmaud Arbery
- Justice for Tony McDade, Black trans man killed by police
- Sign the “Justice for George Floyd” petition on Change.org
- Color of Change launched a petition asking that all the officers involved in Floyd’s death are brought to justice.
Sign this petition to demand justice for Breonna Taylor now!

For a more extensive resource list, please see the collection put together by Black Lives Matter.
Through this grief and anger, we must unite and work together to create the change we want to see. Let’s make sure no black child has to ever say these heartbreaking words ever again
If you’re attending a protest, please be safe and careful and maintain social distancing, if possible.
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