Sacramento-The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) is dismayed by the decision of the Kentucky grand jury’s decision to limit indictments in the Breonna Taylor case to former officer Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. Two other officers involved in Taylor’s death escaped prosecution. As Hankinson’s charges stem from his firing into neighboring apartments, this indictment neither acknowledges nor vindicates Breonna Taylor’s death and reflects a legal system that shields officers from real accountability.
The CLBC stands with the family of Breonna Taylor and our brothers and sisters who are in pain now. We encourage transforming our anger and pain into electoral energy and intentional activism for genuine reform. Breonna’s sister, Juniyah Palmer, called on us to “Speak. Protest. But do not resort to violence. We demand change. We demand reform. But we do not need for our community to get hurt, we need for our community to get justice.”
The CLBC will continue its own work on police reform. We had some success in recent years, but there is still work to do and it will not be easy. Let’s resolve together to make California safer for everyone.
###