Louisville has settled Breonna Taylor’s wrongful death lawsuit for $12 million
Tamika Palmer (center), mother of Breonna Taylor (inset), addresses the media in Louisville, KY, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. The city of Louisville will pay several million dollars to the mother of Breonna Taylor and install police reforms as part of a settlement of a lawsuit from Taylor’s family.
The city of Louisville, Kentucky, has agreed to pay $12 million to the family of Breonna Taylor, the 26-yearold EMT killed by police six months ago, to settle a wrongful death lawsuit, family attorney Sam Aguilar confirmed to CNN.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the settlement Tuesday, September 15, 2020, in a joint press conference with the Taylor family’s attorneys. Speaking to News Radio 840 WHAS on Tuesday morning, Fischer declined to comment on the settlement, saying, “I don’t have anything to announce on that at this time.”
Taylor’s family sued the city after Louisville Metro Police officers broke down the door to Taylor’s apartment and fatally shot her while executing a late-night, “no-knock” warrant in a narcotics investigation on March 13.
A CNN review of the shooting found that police believed Taylor was home alone when she was in fact accompanied by her boyfriend, who was legally armed. That miscalculation, along with the decision to press forward with a high-risk, forced-entry raid under questionable circumstances, contributed to the deadly outcome. Breonna Taylor had big plans before police knocked down her door in the deadly raid.
Taylor’s boyfriend, who said he believed the home was being broken into, shot and injured an officer, and police killed Taylor in the return fire. The officers were not wearing body cameras, police said.
Until Freedom, a social justice organization that has protested in Louisville, released a statement Tuesday reacting to the reported city settlement.
“No amount of money will bring back Breonna Taylor,” the group said. “We see this settlement as the bare minimum you can do for a grieving mother. The city isn’t doing her any favors. True justice is not served with cash settlements. We need those involved in her murder to be arrested and charged. We need accountability. We need justice.”
The Louisville Metro Police Department declined to comment. The police union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Aguilar confirmed the settlement on Tuesday morning.
Taylor’s boyfriend, who said he believed the home was being broken into, shot and injured an officer, and police killed Taylor in the return fire. The officers were not wearing body cameras, police said.
