Kentucky state Rep. Attica Scott is calling on the U.S. attorney general to investigate the killing of Breonna Taylor by Louisville Metro Police.
Scott, a Louisville Democrat, made the request in House Resolution 93, which she filed Friday with co-sponsors Rep. Nima Kulkarni, D-Louisville, and Rep. Kelly Flood, D-Lexington. Scott said state officials have failed to properly investigate Taylor’s death, which is why she wants a new inquiry headed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, whom the U.S. Senate confirmed on Wednesday.
“I wanted to make sure that we in Kentucky send a strong message to Louisville, our entire commonwealth and to the United States that we are not done seeking justice for Breonna Taylor,” Scott said. “With our new attorney general, Merrick Garland, it seemed like an important opportunity to submit this resolution calling on him to fully investigate the murder of Breonna Taylor, because the investigations have been botched, and there has been no justice for Breonna.”
LMPD officers shot and killed Taylor while executing a middle-of-the-night raid at her apartment on March 13, 2020.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron led an investigation into Taylor’s killing last year. A grand jury subsequently indicted only one of the officers involved in the raid. Former officer Brett Hankison was fired and faces three counts of wanton endangerment for shooting into a neighboring apartment.
Two other officers were later fired. All three are appealing to be reinstated.
Scott said she isn’t satisfied with that result.
“This is how I, as a legislator, can keep going – through policy advocacy,” Scott said. “It's not lost on me at all that, as we come up on a year that we’ve been seeking justice for Breonna Taylor, every level of society and government has failed her.”
Saturday marks one year since Taylor’s death. Protesters are planning a day of demonstration to remember her and call for justice.
Scott said protesters have felt defeated at times due to the lack of accountability, but they aren’t giving up.
“There's a whole lot of pain around the fact that Attorney General Daniel Cameron failed Breonna, that Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine failed Breonna,” she said. “And yet people know that justice is right around the corner if we keep going. And that's what I believe a whole lot of folks are holding on to, and they're going into this weekend with that hope.”
