Beyonce Pens Open Letter To Kentucky’s Attorney General On Behalf Of Breonna Taylor
Beyonce is using her celebrity to call for justice on behalf of Breonna Taylor. The megastar recently penned an open letter on her website to Kentucky’s attorney general calling for the three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor to be charged.
In Beyonce’s open letter, addressed to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (whose office is currently handling the investigation of Taylor’s death) the singer noted several times that it has been three months since Taylor’s murder. However, no disciplinary action has been taken against the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers involved.
“While ‘Breonna’s Law’ passed in Louisville and federal legislation has been introduced that will also ban no-knock warrants, these small steps in the right direction are painful reminders that there has still been no justice for Breonna Taylor or her family,” Beyonce wrote. “Three months have passed — and the LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 06: Street artists create work in memory of Breonna Taylor on June 06, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. This is the 12th day of protests since George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images)
Beyonce also questioned how the incident report stated that Taylor suffered no injuries despite the fact that she was shot at least eight times. The pop star also questioned the officers’ accounts of the incident, specifically their claims that they announced themselves before forcing their way into Taylor’s apartment although a myriad of witnesses refuted the claim.
“Three months have passed — and zero arrests have been made, and no officers have been fired. The LMPD’s investigation was turned over to your office, and yet all of the officers involved in the shooting remain employed by the LMPD,” Beyonce wrote. “LMPD Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hakinson must be held accountable for their actions.”
SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 07: A demonstrator holds a painting of Breonna Taylor during a protest near the Seattle Police Departments East Precinct on June 7, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Earlier in the evening, a suspect drove into the crowd of protesters and shot one person, which happened after a day of peaceful protests across the city. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
“Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Breonna Taylor, and demonstrate value of a Black woman’s life,” Beyonce continued. She also urged Cameron to “use that power” by bringing criminal charges against Mattingly, Cosgrove, and Hankison. She also asked him to commit to transparency in the investigation and to investigate the LMPD’s response to Breonna’s murder, “as well the pervasive practices that result in the repeated deaths of unarmed Black citizens.”
“Don’t let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy. With every death of a Black person at the hands of the police, there are two real tragedies: the death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it. This is your chance to end that pattern. Take swift and decisive action in charging the officers. The next months cannot look like the last three,” Beyonce concluded.
