On Wednesday, a grand jury in Louisville announced that none of the officers involved in the no-knock raid that ended with Breonna Taylor’s death would be directly charged. One officer, former detective Brett Hankison, will be charged with “first-degree wanton endangerment” for firing into Taylor’s neighboring walls.
The ruling was not, perhaps, a great shock to a nation that has grown accustomed to unarmed, innocent Black men and women being killed with impunity by police. But it was a grievous disappointment to Americans who’d hoped for justice for the 26-year-old EMT who was reportedly asleep in her home when the shooting started.
Across the country, Christian leaders spoke up to mourn the ruling and call on others to cry for justice.
Kyle J. Howard
They can kill us in a park, they can kill us in our car, they can kill us in our own home. Our lives may not matter many, but they matter to US and they matter to God!
America WILL know the judgement of God for its treatment of image bearers. #BlackLivesMatter
— Kyle J. Howard (@KyleJamesHoward) September 23, 2020
Bernice King
Praying for Breonna’s mother and family. Because they knew and loved her before her name became a hashtag.
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) September 23, 2020
Austin Channing Brown
I am both deeply disappointed and not at all surprised. How can both be true? My humanity demands the first, and my experience produces the second. Breonna deserves my disappointment, my anger, my frustration because her life mattered. https://t.co/FMezyjZkB1
— Austin Channing Brown (@austinchanning) September 23, 2020
Mika Edmondson
The true atrocity is this. In America, what happened to Breonna Taylor is not considered a crime.
Think about what that means for everyone who shares Breonna Taylor’s neighborhood, skin color, and gender. #BreonnaTaylor
— Mika Edmondson (@mika_edmondson) September 23, 2020
Dr. Eric Mason
Lecrae
It’s all kind of numbing. On one hand it’s like I KNOW I’m not crazy there’s a real problem in our country. On the other I’m sad that everyone doesn’t see it and some don’t want to. Of course I know God is at work. It’s just tough to process it all. #BreonnaTaylor https://t.co/b1ALKdkRS3
— Lecrae (@lecrae) September 23, 2020
Rev. Jacqui Lewis
Anna Golden
Sam Collier
Derek Minor
I’m sorry Breonna… we tried.
— Derek Minor (@thederekminor) September 23, 2020
Jon Tyson
Mourn with those who mourn.#BreonnaTaylor
— Jon Tyson (@JonTyson) September 23, 2020
Propaganda
I think what i would like our zeitgeist try to understand, is the fact the officer didn’t break the law. Let that sink in. The system worked perfectly. This is our problem. THIS is our delemma. This is our curse.
— Prop (@prophiphop) September 23, 2020
Carlos Whittaker
Kirk Franklin
Sad day……#BreonnaTaylor
— Kirk Franklin (@kirkfranklin) September 23, 2020
Kevin Fredricks
Mike McHargue
