ATLANTA — Demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Atlanta once again Friday to protest the lack of charges against the officers who were involved in the deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor, 26.
A grand jury in Kentucky indicted a former Louisville police detective involved in the March 13 shooting death of Taylor.
Detective Brett Hankison, who was fired from the police department in June, was charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for shooting into Taylor’s apartment from outside, endangering the lives of three people in the apartment next door.
No one was charged with the actual killing of Taylor, which sparked outrage across the country and here in Atlanta.
Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke to Georgia State University criminal justice professor Thaddeus Johnson, who said he understands both the law and the frustration surrounding the case. Johnson was a police officer before he started teaching.
“I would say the problem is the actual law,” Johnson said. “I’m torn, as a Black guy. I’m tired of seeing us killed, I’m tired of seeing us on these videos. I’m tired of it, but I also understand how the system works.”
Johnson said the laws need to be revisited in Kentucky and other states.
“The problem is the actual standard for the no-knock warrant, and you’re going to have these things,” Johnson said.
“And what this really does, it exposes the flaws in our system.”
Johnson said the most important thing you can do to get the laws changed and revised is to vote.
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Eighteen people arrested Friday:
Friday night, demonstrators marched from Atlanta police headquarters to the state capitol.
“We’re just demanding that police have more accountability,” said Qri Montague, co-chair of the People’s Uprising, which was the main organizing group for Friday’s rally.
That rally ended peacefully around 8 p.m.
Later in the evening, Atlanta police announced at least 18 protesters had been arrested in another demonstration in the Old Fourth Ward area.
It happened around 10 p.m. near the intersection of Highland and Alaska avenues.
Investigators told Channel 2′s Matt Johnson that the arrests came because the demonstrators were in the road. Protesters said police gave them no warning.
So far, police have not released the names or charges of those detained Friday night.
Cox Media Group
