By contrast: two narcotics investigations
She was a Black woman.
She was African-American.
She died in Louisville, Kentucky.
She died in 2020.
She was the target of a narcotics investigation.
She was killed by the Louisville Police Department.
She was unarmed.
Her partner was armed with a handgun.
Her partner fired his gun first.
Her partner’s gunfire actually struck a police officer.
Hit by her partner’s gunfire, that policeman fell to the ground, a gush of blood pouring out of his severed artery.
The wounded policeman’s colleagues, fearing that they’d also be shot, returned fire.
She was, tragically, killed by crossfire — caught between her partner’s gunfire and the police returning fire.
Her death triggered protests in numerous cities nationwide.
Numerous riots took place across the country in response to her death.
Her death generated numerous false rumors online, such as “she was in her bed sleeping; the cops broke into the wrong house, but decided to kill a Black woman just for fun.”
She now has a street named after her.
She now has at least two statues in California and New York.
She now has numerous murals nationwide featuring her name and face.
Her portrait was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair. (It was drawn by Amy Sherald, the same artist chosen by Michelle Obama to paint her official portrait.)
Multiple billboards prominently featuring her photo and calling for the officers’ prosecution were put up by Oprah Winfrey.
Athletes wore shirts and helmets bearing her name. (Among NFL players alone, there were at least 168 of them.)
Her death has been invoked numerous times as an example of racism.
She was killed by gunfire that was never meant for her.
Her life mattered.
Say her name: Breonna Taylor.