Family Seeks Answers in Fatal Police Shooting of Breonna Taylor in Her Apartment

26-year-old Lousiville resident Breonna Taylor was shot 8-times in her apartment as local authorities executed a drug warrant on March 13.

In a lawsuit filed on April 27, Breonna’s family is accusing Lousiville law enforcement of wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence.

A summary of the lawsuit states that on March 13, Louisville police officers arrived at Breonna’s apartment to execute a drug warrant looking for a man that did not live in Breonna’s apartment complex. Two Louisville officers and one sergeant forced their way into Breonna’s apartment “without knocking and without announcing themselves,” at which point, Breonna and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, believed someone was breaking into their home. Police fired more than 20 rounds inside the apartment, the lawsuit states. Kenneth, a registered gun owner, fired back, striking one of the officers in self-defense. No drugs were found in the home.

Tamika Palmer, Breonna’s mother, says she received a call from Kenneth alerting her of the home invasion and that he believed that they shot Breonna.

Once Tamika arrived at her daughter’s apartment complex, she says officers on the scene gave her little to no information on the status of her daughter. She eventually realized that Breonna was dead.

Louisville Police Department spokeswoman Jessie Halladay declined to comment on the case and said in a statement, “There is an ongoing public integrity investigation into this case, and therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”

But in an interview, Tamika said, “Not one person has talked to me. Not one person has explained anything to me. I want justice for her. I want them to say her name. There’s no reason Breonna should be dead at all.”

Taylor was a certified EMT who had two jobs at hospitals in Louisville. According to the Courier-Journal, family says Taylor was kind, hardworking, and honest.