Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron referenced the late Breonna Taylor in his speech at the Republican National Convention, but he has yet to charge the officers responsible for her death.
On Tuesday (Aug. 25) night, Cameron made an appearance at the RNC where he shared some words in hopes of convincing people to vote for the Republican party in the 2020 presidential elections.
During his speech, he briefly mentioned Taylor’s name in conjunction with the death of David Dorn, a retired police officer who was killed by a person looting a pawn shop in St. Louis, Missouri in June. He explained that in both cases, humanity should come before the law.
“It was General Dwight Eisenhower, a future Republican president, who said: ‘Democracy is a system that recognizes the equality of humans before the law.’ Whether you are the family of Breonna Taylor or David Dorn, these are the ideals that will heal our nation’s wounds,” Cameron said in his speech. “Republicans will never turn a blind eye to unjust acts, but neither will we accept this all-out assault on western civilization.”
Cameron met with Taylor’s family last month for the first time since her tragic death. Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer and attorney Ben Crump seemed optimistic charges would be announced in the case. He, however, has insisted the investigation is ongoing as he is “await[ing] some key information from the FBI.”
Following Cameron’s speech, Palmer reacted to his use of her daughter’s name.
“It was nice to see him using a national platform to remind those watching the Republican convention of my daughter’s name,” she said in a written statement. ”I hope the next time we see him he’s telling the country he’s charging all officers responsible for my daughter’s death and is committed to getting her overdue justice.”
Social media users also voiced their opinions of Cameron’s speech.
“This is Daniel Cameron, the former Black man and attorney general of Kentucky who chose not to do anything about Breonna Taylor’s murder but just name dropped her during his speech at the RNC in support of Trump,” author Frederick Johnson wrote. “May he get everything coming to him. #RNC2020”
Journalist Jemele Hill penned in a tweet, “Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whose job it is to decide if there should be charges brought against the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, is speaking at the Republican National Convention. Make of that what you will.”
Author Shannon Watts also shared her thoughts on Cameron’s speech.
“The #RNCConvention2020 has dedicated plenty of time to fear-mongering and conspiracy theories, but has utterly failed to address the epidemic of police violence that continues to kill and injure Black people in America,” she wrote.
“@kyoag has been quicker to take action on behalf of the Republican party than for Louisville, a community that’s been calling for justice for months. LMPD cut Breonna Taylor’s life short; the Louisville community deserves answers and accountability. #RNCConvention2020 #kyleg.”
Taylor, a licensed EMT, was shot and killed when officers, amid a drug investigation, made their way into her home using a “no-knock” search warrant. The demand for her justice has been requested by family members, celebrities and social media users around the world.