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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 16 september 2020
City to pay $12M to Breonna Taylor's family, reform police

By DYLAN LOVAN for charges against the of-
Associated Press ficers and urged people to
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The "say her name," a phrase
city of Louisville will pay $12 that has become a refrain
million to the family of Bre- for those outraged by the
onna Taylor and reform po- shooting.
lice practices as part of a Fischer said the civil settle-
lawsuit settlement months ment has nothing do with
after Taylor's slaying by po- the criminal investigation.
lice thrust the Black wom- Asked about the criminal
an's name to the forefront investigation, Senate Ma-
of a national reckoning on jority Leader Mitch Mc-
race, Mayor Greg Fischer Connell, who represents
announced Tuesday. Kentucky, told reporters
Taylor's death sparked Tuesday "the investigation
months of protests in Lou- seems to have been more
isville and calls nationwide complicated than a lot of
for the officers to be crimi- people felt." He said he has
nally charged. The state's confidence in Cameron
attorney general, Daniel and stands by him.
Cameron, is investigating The Louisville news confer-
police actions in the March ence was broadcast over
13 fatal shooting. a loudspeaker downtown Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, addresses the media in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday, Aug.
"I cannot begin to imagine and protesters listened as 13, 2020.
Ms. Palmer's pain, and I am they sat around a memo- Associated Press
deeply, deeply sorry for Bre- rial to Taylor.
onna's death," Fischer said, Protesters gathered Tues- investigation of a drug traf- handled by police, Mayor ery two weeks in the com-
referring to Taylor's mother, day at what they have re- ficking suspect who was a Fischer said. Other reforms munities where they serve.
Tamika Palmer. named "Injustice Square" former boyfriend of Taylor's. seek to build stronger com- The city will also track po-
At Tuesday's news confer- to listen to the news con- That man, Jamarcus Glov- munity connections by es- lice use of force incidents
ence, an emotional Palmer ference on loudspeakers. er, was arrested at a differ- tablishing a housing credit and citizen complaints.
pushed for charges against Some had been there ev- ent location about 10 miles program to encourage of- The city has already taken
the officers involved in the ery day for 113 days, de- (16 kilometers) away from ficers to live in certain low- some other reform mea-
shooting. manding justice for Taylor. Taylor's apartment on the income areas in the city. sures, including passing a
"As significant as today is, The announcement did not same evening. Officers will also be encour- law named for Taylor that
it's only the beginning of bring them much comfort. The settlement includes re- aged to perform two paid bans the use of the no-
getting full justice for Breon- "It's just not enough," said forms on how warrants are hours of volunteer work ev- knock warrants. q
na," Palmer said. "We must Holly McGlawn, who stood
not lose focus on what the calculating how much
real drive is and with that Taylor might have made
being said, it's time to move had she lived. Taylor could
forward with the crimi- have worked to another 40
nal charges because she or 50 years, she said. "You
deserves that and much can't put a price on a Black
more." woman being able to sleep
The lawsuit, filed in April by at night and know she's not
Palmer, alleged the police going to get murdered."
used flawed information In the time since Taylor's
when they obtained a "no- shooting, her death —
knock" warrant to enter along with George Floyd
the 26-year-old woman's and others — has become
apartment in March. Tay- a rallying cry for protest-
lor and her boyfriend were ers seeking a reckoning on
roused from bed by police, racial justice and police
and her boyfriend, Kenneth reform. High-profile celeb-
Walker, has said he fired rities like Oprah Winfrey
once at the officers think- and LeBron James have
ing it was an intruder. In- called for the officers to be
vestigators say police were charged in Taylor's death.
returning fire when they Palmer's lawsuit accused
shot Taylor several times. three Louisville police offi-
No drugs were found at her cers of blindly firing into Tay-
home. lor's apartment the night of
"We won't let Breonna Tay- the March raid, striking Tay-
lor's life be swept under the lor several times. One of the
rug," said Ben Crump, an officers, Jonathan Matting-
attorney for Taylor's family. ly, went into the home after
Crump said the $12 million the door was broken down
settlement is the largest and was struck in the leg by
such settlement given out the gunshot from Walker.
for a Black woman killed The warrant was one of five
by police. He also called issued in a wide-ranging