Organizers in Denver held a rally outside the State Capitol tonight at 6 after a grand jury in Kentucky announced charges were filed against one of the officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor.
The Courier Journal in Louisville, Ky., reported former Louisville Metro Police detective Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, a felony charge. The newspaper reported the charges are related to Hankison "wantonly" shooting into some apartments, but not Taylor's.
Taylor, who was Black, was shot and killed in her apartment by Louisville Metro Police officers on March 13 when cops used a "no-knock" warrant connected to an investigation of Taylor's former boyfriend. The Courier Journal reported Taylor was shot five times. The three officers were white. Taylor was 26.
People began to assemble in front of the Capitol around 6.
"We're tired," state Rep. Leslie Herod said at the Denver rally. "We're tired of screaming from the top of our lungs that Black lives matter."
The Party for Socialism and Liberation, whose members have frequented protests against racism and police brutality this year, called on the Louisville Police Department to immediately fire and revoke the pensions from cops involved in Taylor's shooting, the city to divest from Louisville Metro Police Department and for the mayor to resign. The crowd applauded as PSL read the list of demands.
Around 7:15 p.m., the crowd began marching downtown, chanting Taylor's name.
A rally for Breonna Taylor had just ended, but a small crowd lingered at the intersection of Lincoln and Colfax. A silver car driving north on Lincoln approached the crowd. Some protesters encircled the car, hitting it and telling the driver turn around, while others in the crowd demanded the protesters stand down. The driver then accelerated, hitting at least one person. The woman, who told reporters her name was Kate, sustained minor injuries. The Denver Police Department tweeted that one man was in custody following the incident.
Along with George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, Taylor's death fueled protests against racism and police violence in Denver and across the country this summer.
Ahead of Wednesday's announcement, NPR reported Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency in anticipation of "civil unrest." The city has agreed to pay Taylor's family $12 million over her death. Two other officers involved in Taylor's shooting were not charged, according to the Courier Journal.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
