Police brutality has plagued America for decades. There have been countless lives lost to the horrific abuse of power by the same people who have sworn to protect and serve. A very heartbreaking case is that of Breonna Taylor's. Breonna Taylor was murdered on March 13, 2020. officers in plain clothes entered Breonna's home on a no-knock warrant looking for narcotics, prompting Breonna's boyfriend to fire, believing invaders had broken in. To this day, Breonna has yet to recieve justice. A specific Kentucky law may be inhibiting Breonna's murderers from being charged. This law can be simplified as "When police are acting in their official capacity they can’t be aggressors for purposes of self-defense law.” Another recent case is that of Elijah McClain's. Elijah was walking home from a convenience store when a call to 911 stated he was "suspicious" looking wearing a ski mask and waving his arms. The police arrived, and after struggling to handcuff Mr. McClain, officers brought him to the ground and used a carotid hold, which restricts blood to the brain to render someone unconscious. When medical responders arrived, after about 15 minutes, paramedics injected him with ketamine, a powerful sedative. Elijah was taken to the hospital where he unfortunately died. Last, but most certainly not least, a heartbreaking story occured very recently on August 23, 2020 where a 29 year old unarmed black man was shot in the back 7 times, in front of his children. Fortunately, Blake is alive, however he is in critical condition fighting for his life. These are just a mere few cases amongst thousands. Reform may not be enough.
As days pass, it may feel as though all hope is lost, however, we must keep going. Please contact Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer on behalf of Breonna Taylor: Demands for justice can be made by calling Fischer’s office at (502) 574-2003. Please email Aurora officials, using a template created by @justiceforelijahmcclain, here. Call Aurora officials, using a script created by @justiceforelijahmcclain, here. Please sign these petitions calling for justice for these victims. Petition for Breonna Taylor Petition for Elijah McClain Petition for Jacob Blake So please, please, do not stop protesting. Do not stop signing petitions. Do not stop contacting officials. And most importantly, do not stop fighting for justice for victims who cannot fight for themselves!
Police brutality is in no way a "new" thing . . .