Below is a statement of Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation:
“We are outraged by the news today about the grand jury decision regarding the murder of Breonna Taylor. The lesser charge of wanton endangerment brought against only one of the three officers responsible for her death shows the abject failure of our policing system and puts a spotlight on a criminal justice system that enables police officers to take a life with little to no consequence. It illustrates the deadly repercussions of a faulty system that disproportionately overpolices Black people in the U.S. and endangers their lives, even when they are asleep in their own homes.
The Louisville Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation and the failure of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to seek more severe penalties are egregious, and we are dismayed by their failure to bring sufficient charges against those responsible for what was in effect a state-sanctioned killing. There has been no justice served today, and it is clear that legislators at every level must heed the calls to divest from traditional policing and invest in alternatives that will limit the reach of law enforcement officers, work to support communities, and protect Black lives. Our thoughts are with Breonna Taylor’s family and loved ones as they continue the fight to get the justice she is due. We will continue to say Breonna Taylor’s name and demand action from elected officials for the lives lost to anti-Black violence and police brutality.”
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