Published 18:43 IST, September 24th 2020
What happened to Breonna Taylor? Why are American athletes outright FURIOUS over ruling?
What happened to Breonna Taylor? Following the grand jury decision, surprised & outraged American athletes expressed their anger & disappointment at the verdict
- SportFit
- 6 min read
Over the past few months, the sports world has united in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, constantly using their platform to promote social justice. This includes Breonna Taylor's case, where the sports world demanded justice for Taylor, asking for her murderers to be arrested and convicted. Months after her death on March 13, the grand jury announced their decision on Taylor's case. One former officer – Brett Hankison – was indicted, but bizarrely not for Taylor's death. Shortly after the announcement, protesters gathered on the streets, asking for a harsher judgement for the officers involved in her killing.
What happened to Breonna Taylor case? Breonna Taylor story
Breonna Taylor warrant and shooting
On March 13, Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician was shot to death in her home in Louisville after police officers barged into her apartment to execute a late-night warrant for a narcotics investigation. Taylor's boyfriend, who was with her, shot at the officers believing they were intruders as they received no answer when they asked who was at the door. The police officers, without a body cam, returned fire in the apartment, killing Taylor in the process. It was revealed that they were investigating her ex-boyfriend, who was a convicted felon suspected of supplying a drug house. No drugs were found at Taylor's house.
Aftermath, protests and grand jury decision
Two months after her death, Taylor's mother filed for a wrongful death lawsuit against the officers. While an investigation was launched on May 21, George Floyd's murder on May 25 brought Taylor's case more spotlight. Along with Floyd, protesters started demanding justice for Taylor's case as well. In June, Hankinson was fired for "blindly shooting" at Taylor. On Wednesday, the prosecutors announced that Hankinson was indicted on "first-degree wanton endangerment charges", but not for Taylor's killing. The other two officers – Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove – were not indicted.
Athletes disappointed and furious over what happened to Breonna Taylor
While people continued to protest in Taylor's name, big stars like LeBron James, Naomi Osaka and Colin Kaepernick highlighted her cause. James, while at the NBA bubble in Orlando, wore an altered "Make America Great Again" cap with the Lakers which demanded justice for Taylor. Osaka used Taylor's name on one of her seven caps in the US Open, which featured names of police brutality victims.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving teamed up with guests like journalist Jemele Hill and rapper Common to host a special show on Taylor's killing, discussing the importance of her case. Lewis Hamilton wore a 'Justice for Breonna Taylor' shirt at the Tuscan GP, following which he would be undergoing an FIA investigation due to potential breach of rules.
These efforts were not limited to Taylor's death, drawing attention to everyone from Floyd to Ahmaud Arbery to Jacob Blake. James, who has been quite vocal about police brutality, even started a voting rights group called More Than a Vote by teaming up with other black athletes. Additionally, leagues like the NBA, WNBA, MLB and NFL have extended their support to their players, who chose to boycott games after Blake's shooting on August 23.
A direct result of months of protests, the surprising ruling in Taylor's case elicited a frustrated and angered reaction from athletes. "I’m devastated, hurt, sad, mad! We want Justice for Breonna yet justice was met for her neighbours' apartment walls and not her beautiful life," James wrote on Twitter. He admitted that while his heart is heavy, he isn't surprised at the ruling.
After James, more NBA stars chose to speak up. James' teammate Danny Green stated that he was disappointed, but would keep on fighting along with the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone referred to the incident as "tragic", trying to place himself in Taylor's boyfriend's shoes. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who is known for his candid take on social issues, called the situation "discouraging" and depolarizing", questioning the way we live.
After the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat matchup on Wednesday (Thursday IST), Celtics star Jaylen Brown revealed that he too wasn't surprised by the verdict. “This one was for her," said Heat's Bam Adebayo, explaining that he would channel his anger into the game. Jimmy Butler expressed his disappointment after the game, reiterating that this situation will always be bigger than basketball. Montrezl Harrell, Jamal Crawford, Lakers icon Magic Johnson and Heat legend Dwyane Wade were others who chose to speak on the issue.
"Disappointed & disgusted," wrote WNBA's Sue Bird. The league has dedicated their season to Breonna Taylor and the Say Her Name movement and even spoke to her mother before they resumed play some months ago. "We’re still going hard for you. you deserved so much better," Lexie Brown added, heartbroken at the verdict.
Megan Rapinoe also tweeted about the issue. Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Kenjon Barner quoted a tweet about the judgement, thinking it was crazy that he isn't surprised over the decision. "Dirty game," was what New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas had to say as he added a facepalming emoji.
Colin Kaepernick, on the other hand, called out the "white supremacist institution" which "stole" Taylor's life. Asking for the system to be abolished, the former NFL star was one of the first players who knelt during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest in 2016. Kaepernick is yet to play again, as his protests had been observed as problematic, too political and controversial for the NFL. However, after this year's protests became a highlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaepernick – who continued to advocate social justice – has been receiving support from his colleagues and other athletes.
(Image credits: AP)
Updated 18:43 IST, September 24th 2020
